KIM: Konoha Instant Messanger
by Benchwarmer
Summary: Naruto inherits a computer after coming back from a mission. He gets Konoha Instant Messenger and faces a challenge by the other genin. However he begins to unknowingly talk more with a certain Hyūga. NaruHina See first chapter for better summary.
1. Inheritance

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. Never have, never will.

Full Summary:

Naruto inherits a computer after coming back from his mission in the Land of Waves. He downloads K.I.M., otherwise known as Konoha Instant Messanger and begins to start talking with his fellow genin only to realize that they are challenging him to guess whose screen name matches with who. As if figuring out how a computer worked wasn't hard enough. However he begins to unknowingly talk more with a certain Hyūga. The story follows Naruto's adventure in the manga but with several twists along the way with the main one being that Naruto now has a computer along with everyone else. Mainly NaruHina, not sure if I will do others yet.

* * *

Chapter 1: Inheritance

"WHAT, AN INHERITANCE?" This was all that could be heard throughout the Hokage's tower. The Sandaime had just told Naruto that he had received an inheritance from his father. "Wait a second, never mind this inheritance; does this mean you're going to tell me who my father is?"

"That topic will be revealed to you when you are older," the Hokage simply stated. "Your father wanted to give this to you when you completed your first B-rank mission, and seeing how your previous mission to the Land of Waves was technically an A-rank, I figured now would be a good time for you to have this." He pointed at a medium sized brown box on the ground while breathing in through his pipe.

Naruto walked over to a box that was about as tall as his waist. A sparkle grew in his eye and he began to open the box like a little child on Christmas morning. He carefully moved his hands over the rough cardboard surface mentally preparing himself for what could be in the box as he began to open it. "No way… a computer!" He held the computer monitor over his head like he had just won it, which he pretty much just did. The monitor was an older version where the back stuck out quite a bit. It was not like the flat screens that he had seen in the stores, but he could care less. It had an orange transparent cover going over the back of it and had a flame symbol along the top. Naruto started to grunt realizing how heavy it actually was.

The Hokage let out a quite chuckle before clearing his throat. "It belonged to your father. Glad to see you like it; I would tell you how to put it together but this new technology is way above my head. I'm fairly certain that there is a guide book in there to help you put it together."

Naruto turned around to look at the Hokage with his trademark grin. "Thanks Gramps, I'll see if one of my teammates can help me put this together." And with that being said, Naruto quickly grabbed the box and took off towards his apartment leaving a trail of dust behind.

The Hokage grinned as he took in another breath from his pipe. "He is so hasty; he didn't even bother to look at the box next to it."

* * *

The streets of Konoha were as crowded as ever, but that didn't stop Naruto as he made his way home with his father's old computer. "Excuse me, coming through!" the blond shouted as he started sprinting down the street until. It didn't take long until he bumped into another person, causing him to fall flat on the ground. He tried to say something back, but the pink hair of the person caught him off guard.

Sakura sat there on the ground rubbing her head trying to get rid of the headache that already started to form. "Baka, Naruto what the hell are you doing running down a crowded street with a giant box?" She stood back up trying to regain her composure.

"Ah Sakura-chan, I'm sorry. I was trying to get home so I could put together my computer. Look here." He opened the box to show her the computer that belonged to his father. He looked at her with his usual grin and noticed that she had a quite puzzled look on her face. "I guess my dad left me an inheritance and he wanted me to have his computer when I completed my first B-rank mission."

"I see. Well when you get it up and working, make sure you get KIM. Almost everyone of our genin class uses it." She replied with as he began to close the box.

"What the heck is KIM?" Now he was the one with the puzzled look on his face.

"Konoha Instant Messenger, it allows us to talk to each other over the computer," she snapped back. Her headache seemed to get worse by just looking at him and explaining things to him was not helping.

"Say Sakura-chan, would you help me put this thing together. Honestly I'm not sure where to begin." He started to scratch the back of his head with his arm in an attempt to convince her to help him.

"Sorry Naruto, but I got a headache ever since you crashed into me, and it gets worse the more I listen to you. The last thing I need is to go to your apartment and explain how a computer works. They have instruction manuals to help bakas like you." She brushed off the dirt on her outfit and started to walk off. "Now if you excuse me, I need to go find Sasuke."

"Teme," Naruto muttered under his breath at the name. "Well that went well. At least she didn't punch me like usual." He watched until he lost her in the crowd of people. "Better get this thing home." The blond quickly picked up his box and made his way back home. "Excuse me, coming thr-"

Just as soon as he shouted out those words, he came into contact with another person causing both him and a raven colored haired kunoichi to fall towards the ground. She let out an "eep" before landing on the ground while he sighed for hitting another person with his oversized box. Hinata shook her head to try and clear her mind to figure out what just happened but when she looked at the person responsible. She simply froze. Hinata had collided with number one loudest, unpredictable, hyperactive knuckleheaded ninja. A sort of panic came over her but she managed to stutter out the words, "N-N-Naruto-kun?"

"Huh, you're…" Naruto closed his eyes and put a hand against his chin to try to recall who she was. It took him a good thirty seconds to place the name with the face, but she didn't mind. For her, this was an opportunity to watch how his hair drifted back and forth against the sun's rays. Several of his blond locks clung to the afternoon breeze until it collided with the sun, enhancing the golden color. It gave her a calm and comforting feeling. "Hyūga Hinata…right?" She was caught off guard as he looked her directly in the eyes. His azure eyes were mesmerizing to her. The blood started to run to her cheeks and her heart beat faster. She didn't trust the sound of her voice so she quickly nodded and looked away. "Here, let me help you up."

Before she had time to react, Naruto had grabbed her hand and slowly brought her up. She noticed that his hold was firm but comforting at the same time. His grip was carefully around her fingers to not hurt them but also soft to the touch. When the Hyūga heiress stood up, her eyes gazed over towards Naruto where they were met with his stare. She felt her legs starting to give away as she saw how soothing and concerned his eyes looked. Hinata immediately looked down in an attempt to save herself from falling.

The blond took this moment to stare at her for a second. _She is too shy for her own good._ He thought. Unknowingly to him, Hinata looked up to him for inspiration over the years. This resulted in her developing feelings towards him. He chuckled to himself. "Hey, look at this." He proceeded to pull out the orange monitor out of the box to show her. "I got a computer finally!"

She was happy for him, she truly was, but she continued to stare at the ground in order to conceal her blush. "T-that's great N-Naruto-kun." Naruto realized his effort to show it off was in vain so he tried a different approach.

"Say, you wouldn't know how to put one of these things together by chance? I asked Sakura-chan but I guess I just annoyed her today even more then I already do." A sheepish grin started to take over on his face.

Her mind began to race through what he had just said. _Put a computer together? That was easy. Just make sure to plug in the monitor, and the mouse. The power cord goes in the outlet on the wall…of his house._ Her eyes became wider as she realized what she just thought. '_His_ house…_ his_ house…_ his_…house.' Every time she thought of his house, her cheeks seemed to grow a new shade of red.

Hinata began to tap her fingers vigorously together as she felt her heart start to race. The blond began to realize this was a losing battle. "I'll take that as a no. Don't worry about it, Gramps said this thing came with an instruction manual so I'm sure I'll be fine." He put the monitor back in the box and started to carry it again. "I'm gonna walk home this time so I don't run into anyone. I'll see ya later!" And with that last remark, he set off for home.

The raven-haired girl however did not move, she stood practically frozen in time staring at the ground. She never heard his comment or noticed him leave. Hinata was still in shock at the thought of being inside _his_ house. An arm on her shoulder brought her back to reality.

"Hinata, you ok?" She looked up to notice a boy with short brown hair and two red tattoos on his face that resembled fangs. Kiba had been walking his small, white dog named Akamaru down the street when he noticed Hinata standing in the middle of the street.

"I'm fine, I s-should go home." She quickly left to hide her embarrassment.

"Wonder what happened." Kiba shrugged it off figuring it was just a Hinata thing. He called to his dog. "Come on Akamaru, let's go practice our 'Dynamic Marking' with Shino." He let out a laugh while his dog replied with a small "arf".

* * *

The door swung open at Naruto's apartment. Naruto started to walk in with his box when he was suddenly stopped. He heard the loud noise of the box hitting the door and immediately sighed. It was hard enough to make it to his apartment with all the people on the streets, but now he was met with another challenge. The box wouldn't fit in his door. He tried again to make sure it wasn't just the box. However, all he managed to do was dent the box even more and cause even more noise. A frown started to cross his face as he set the box on the floor.

"Troublesome." Naruto jerked his head around to figure out where the noise came from. No one was there. He looked down the walk way to see if anyone was there but his search failed. Naruto closed his eyes and scratched the back of his head as if to be in deep thought. "I know I heard a voice, but it didn't come from the stairs or down the walk way. That could only mean…the roof!" He took a few steps back and found a boy leaning on his slanted roof.

"Oi, Shikamaru, what are you doing up here?" Naruto yelled to get his attention. The boy sat up revealing his spiked hair that was tied in the back to look like a pineapple. His gray jacket was wrinkly due to the amount of sleeping the boy did with it on. His small, brown eyes stared back, a lazy expression on his face.

"I was watching the clouds," he replied sarcastically.

Naruto took a quick glance up in the sky. "But there are no clouds out at the moment."

"I know, there are no clouds in the sky and you started to make loud noises so I couldn't sleep. It's all troublesome." Naruto formed a light O shape with his mouth. Shikamaru got up and jumped off the roof landing next to Naruto. He quickly glanced at Naruto's orange jumpsuit from head to toe when the brown box caught his eye. "What's with the box?"

"Ah, it's my inheritance." Naruto practically said jumping up and down. He opened the box and grunted when he pulled out the orange monitor. "It's a computer!" He turned to the other boy to reveal his growing grin. "Say, you wouldn't know how to put one together by chance?" He raised both eyebrows slightly.

"Of course, it's not hard, just annoying." Shikamaru glanced at Naruto to notice his expression. He sighed loudly, knowing what Naruto was thinking. "You need help don't you?" Naruto nodded sheepishly. "Troublesome. Just put the monitor away and bring it inside." Shikamaru walked into the apartment with his hands in his pocket and before Naruto could question him, he continued. "Tilt the box sideways, it should fit then."

Naruto muttered to himself and did as he was told. Shikamaru curiously looked around his house. The living room and kitchen were fairly clean. Only a few instant ramen cups were scattered around. The walls had a light green tint to top half while the lower half was colored brown to almost match the slightly red wooden floor. There was a large poster of Konoha's leaf symbol on the wall behind the couch. "I figure the best place to set this up would be in my bedroom." Shikamaru nodded as he walked over to the area that he had not explored yet.

Unlike the living room and kitchen, Naruto's bedroom was a complete mess. Instant ramen cups were scattered around his room like land mines. His already worn clothes were hanging off any surface that they could possible hang from. Shikamaru turned and raised his eyebrow. Naruto determined that this was an are-you-serious look but he shrugged it off. He tip toed his way to Naruto's bed in order to avoid all the mess.

Naruto, on the other hand, was completely unaware of how his room looked. He was currently focusing on balancing his box sideways to fit through his bedroom door to see the ramen cups. "Naruto, you might want to look where your go-" but it was too late. At that moment, Naruto's foot landed on a cup causing the blond to lose his balance. Naruto fell strait to the floor while the box flew out of his arms. The cup was flung directly at Shikamaru's head knocking him off the bed. Naruto looked horrified as he watched his inheritance fall in slow motion. He closed his eyes before it was going to land. Naruto couldn't bear to see everything break.

All that was heard was the sound of Naruto's bed springs. The box landed on the vacant bed to cushion the fall. Naruto let out the air he was holding and glanced over at Shikamaru who was inspecting the computer. "Sorry about that. Guess I need to be more careful."

"Well, you should be. You have a really old computer model here. I'm not sure if they even make parts for this anymore." Shikamaru stated as he stared down into the box. He picked up the monitor and carried it over to the desk at the side of the bed. Naruto quickly brushed everything off the desk adding to the mess that was already on the floor. Shikamaru rolled his eyes as he set the monitor down and headed for the next piece.

Shikamaru pulled out the tower unit. It had an orange color on its frame to match the monitor, however, this one was not transparent. It had two fairly large flame symbols, one on each side of the computer in the very center. "From the looks of it, I think it is a Konoha 250M. Pretty out dated if you ask me." Shikamaru slid the tower unit underneath the desk. He then leaned down underneath the desk to figure out which cables he would need to use.

"The computer did belong to my _dad_, of course it's old," Naruto exclaimed in a hurt tone. "Not like he could upgrade it if he's…ya know…_dead_."

"Yeah sorry, I forgot about that." Shikamaru apologized. With his head still under the desk, he held out his hand behind him as if wanting something. "Get me an Ethernet cable so I can plug it into your computer."

Naruto nodded even though Shikamaru couldn't see it. He gazed into the box to see all the different kinds of wires and cords and immediately got lost. He then turned around to face the other boy "Wait…what?" He gave an uneasy laugh to signal that he needed some help.

"Just bring the box here and go keep yourself occupied for a couple minutes," Shikamaru responded in a slightly annoyed tone. Naruto set the box down beside him but not before sticking his tongue out at the boy under the desk. He walked off to make some of his instant ramen since it was close to his usual dinner time.

While he waited for the ramen to cool down, Naruto walked back to his room to find Shikamaru finish plugging in the last cord into the wall. "Huh, done already?" The blond narrowed his eyes in confusion.

"Yeah it's not hard to plug cords into the sockets," the dark haired kid responded while shrugging his shoulders. He then pointed towards the computer. "Just so you know, that's the monitor. That is where the stuff appears on the screen that you can interact with." He moved his finger over to the next object. "That is the printer, it can put things from the monitor on paper for you." He moved his fingers again. "That is the mouse and keyboard. The keyboard is used for typing and the mouse is what you use to interact with the stuff on the screen." He made one more motion with his hand. "And lastly, that is the tower unit of the computer. It holds all the main parts for your computer and is also where you can put your CDs or floppies in the computer." He paused a moment to let the information sink into Naruto's brain. "I also plugged in your internet cable, it's what allows you to be connected to all of the other Konoha computers."

"Ah, thanks a lot." Naruto let one of his grins take over his face. "Now how does it turn on?"

Shikamaru began to walk towards the front door and Naruto followed him. "Just push the button at the center of the tower unit. The computer should take you through the rest, and if not, use the manual that was in the box. Now if you excuse me, I've talked way too much for one day and need to get home before my mother complains about me being late for dinner. It's going to be a drag trying to deal with her." With that said, Shikamaru left the apartment leaving Naruto alone in the living room.

"Well, at least he knows about something." Naruto smirked at the thought of Shikamaru not being lazy. He proceeded to the kitchen and grabbed his ramen cup from the counter. He made his way back into the bedroom slurping up the noodles as he went, this time being more careful as to not slip on any empty ramen cup. He made his way over to the chair by the desk and sat down. Gazing at the blank monitor screen, he gave a big smile and leaned down proceeding to push the on button.

* * *

This is my first story/fanfic so I hope you like the start of it. Please R&R and let me know how I did.


	2. First Chat Friend

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. Never have, never will.

* * *

Chapter 2: First "Chat" Friend

Naruto was by no means an expert on using a computer. He knew how to click and type…somewhat. The most experience Naruto had using one was when he was thrown out of the library for trying to figure out what kind of book Kakashi-sensei liked to read. He would have to make a mental note to try again later. Right now, figuring out how to get KIM on his computer was top priority.

"Alright, once this finishes starting up, I just need to find the button for the internet. From there I need to find KIM and I'll be one step closer to talking with Sakura-chan." Naruto smiled to himself as he downed the rest of his noodles. The desktop had finally loaded and left Naruto speechless. The background was a picture looking down at Konoha from the top of the Hokage Monument with the sun setting behind.

As he moved his mouse on the screen, certain buildings would highlight and have captions above the building. "Yamanaka Flower Shop, that must be where Ino works. 44th Battle Training Zone, also known as…" he gulped before reading the next part. "…the Forest Of Death. I better stay away from there." Azure eyes continued to follow the moving the mouse around the screen when one particular building caught his attention. The blonde boy clicked on the building and tapped his foot aggressively while he waited for the page to load. Once it did, he practically fell out of his chair in amazement.

"Ichiraku Ramen Bar takeout..." Naruto sat up with his eyes opened wide once he realized what he said. They gleamed with happiness and his brain immediately began to think of all the possibilities with the word "takeout." His mouth began to drool at the thought of him being able to have ramen delivered to his house and the training grounds. "If only they delivered on far away missions." Sitting back down on his chair, he reached in his desk drawer and pulled out his wallet. Sadness overtook him as he attempted to find money. "Why did Gama-chan have to go on a diet?!"

Naruto's sigh was loud, but he needed to focus back on his self proclaimed mission. He continued to fumble around the background until he found the internet icon located on the sunset. "Bingo!" he exclaimed while scanning the webpage. "Now KIM should be around here somewhere...ah ha." The blond clicked with excitement. He couldn't wait to talk with his teammates over the internet for the first time. "Download now," his mouth began to sink into a frown as he read from the next window. "Time remaining, 17 minutes" a groan escaped his lips. He decided that it was time for another ramen cup.

The blond shinobi made it through the hazard known as his bedroom floor making another mental note to clean it in the next couple days. In his small kitchen, he grabbed the pot and began to boil water in it. He took this time to think about how his life would change now that he had a computer. "With this computer, I'll be able to prove to Sakura-chan that I'm not a baka." His grin shined with approval. "Then I'll be able to show the teme who is boss." Fists pumped in the air as if he was beating an imaginary Sasuke. However another thought crossed his mind, it recalled the face of the raven haired kunoichi that he had ran into earlier in the day.

"I wonder if Hinata uses KIM, it might be easier to talk with her over the computer instead of in person." Naruto added the noodles and started to wonder about the mysterious girl. _Maybe I'll get to see what her real personality is like_. He simply chuckled at the thought.

* * *

-_Meanwhile in the KIM genin chat_-

Hinata just watched her screen reading the complaints of her two fellow kunoichi.

**flower_power: **Wait, you're telling me Naruto got a computer?

**Cherry_Blossom:** Yeah, he literally ran into me with it today trying to get home to get the thing set up.

**flower_power: **Like he will be able to figure out how to use a computer, or rather put one together.

**cloud_watcher: **Actually he probably has the computer running right now.

**Cherry_Blossom:** Huh?

**flower_power: **how do ya know?

**cloud_watcher: **I put it together for him hoping he would give me a chance to sleep.

**flower_power: **wow Shika.

**Top_Dog: **great, now we will have to listen to his loud mouth on here as well. I was sure this thing was Naruto proof.

It pained her to read the negative comments about Naruto.

**Unknown_Heiress: **It might not be that bad Kiba-kun…

**Top_Dog: **yeah and fleas are a dogs best friend.

**flower_power: **never mind that, the shy one spoke! how are things with you at the Hyūga place.

The last thing she needed to be reminded about was her father.

**Unknown_Heiress: **I'd rather not talk about that…

**flower_power: **fine suit yourself, we can always talk about Naruto :P

**Top_Dog: **I bet she would like that.

Or be teased about her feelings.

**Unknown_Heiress: **…

**Cherry_Blossom: **Come on, leave her alone. We have more important things to deal with right now. I have a feeling Naruto will bug the heck out of me once he gets on…

**flower_power: **we could always have some "fun" with him. :D

**Cherry_Blossom: **What do you mean by that?

**flower_power: **think about it, we all have screen names. he won't know who is who.

**Cherry_Blossom: **That is brilliant!

**Top_Dog: **so we have him try and figure out who is who on his own?

**cloud_watcher: **Count me out, it sounds like too much work.

**flower_power: **Shikamaru if you ruin this, so help me the next time I see you, you'll never want to sleep again.

**cloud_watcher: **troublesome woman, fine.

_-Dont_bug_me- has joined the chat. _

**Top_Dog: **good timing bugsy, hey when naruto joins KIM, don't tell him who you are.

**Dont_bug_me: **Why?

**Top_Dog: **we want to have some fun with him and make him guess who we are. you know, for all the annoying jokes he does on us.

**Dont_bug_me: **I would rather not harm a future comrade.

**Cherry_Blossom: **It's only Naruto.

**flower_power: **you aren't going hurt him, just don't tell him who you are unless he guesses right. or you could just not talk like usual and not worry about it.

**Top_Dog: **exactly

Several seconds passed by with no response.

**flower_power: **is he there??

**cloud_watcher: **He's probably taking the not talking thing seriously.

**Cherry_Blossom: **Anyways, just make sure to use your usernames when you want to refer to someone. Shikamaru, tell Chouji and Tenten about this. I'll tell Sasuke-kun.

**cloud_watcher: **Fine. You better hurry though, he could be on within the hour.

**flower_power: **not if I tell Sasuke-kun first!

_-flower_power- has left the chat. _

Hinata would have to mentally prepare herself for talking with Naruto when the time comes.

**Cherry_Blossom: **Stupid pig. Oh and Hinata, don't cave under his pressure. It will ruin the fun.

-_Cherry_Blossom- has left the chat._

And her so-called friends weren't being very helpful.

**Unknown_Heiress:** That's easier said than done…

* * *

"3…2…1…" Naruto's self made countdown was completed with the little beep on the computer screen. He clicked blindly through the windows that came up until he came up to the screen to create his own username. "I need to think of something that defines me." His eyes looked upwards trying to find his answer on the ceiling. His thoughts were interrupted by a little "splat" and he gazed down in the noises direction.

The noodle that had been previously clinging to the edge of his ramen bowl had finally given up. "That's perfect!" Naruto exclaimed. His eyes moved back towards the keyboard in preparation for what was to come next. Naruto pointed his index finger at the key that he was eyeing and pressed down. "i…_...l…i..." He sounded out loud every letter that he poked at. Each key that was pressed down was immediately followed by his head jerking up to see the screen, making sure that the correct key was input. "k…e…_...n…o…o…" His fingers were like chickens poking at their food with a much delayed response. "d…l…e…s"

"I like noodles, a perfect nickname for me." Naruto said with a smile. A couple clicks later and he found himself staring at the window that listed all the chat rooms. "Ichiraku Raman chat…sounds so good right now. Icha Icha chat…maybe another time. Chunin Exams chat…wonder what that is about." His eyes jumped around from room to room until they found the one he was looking for. "Woo the Genin chat has six people right now. Here goes nothing."

* * *

**Top_Dog: **so then he goes, "Your dog just pissed on the bug I was trying to catch."

**Bar_be_cue:** I don't get it.

**cloud_watcher: **Kinda rude if you ask me.

**Top_Dog: **you guys just don't know good humor when you see it.

_-i_like_noodles- has joined the chat._

**Dont_bug_me: **I just hope you behave better on missions.

**Top_Dog: **yeah yeah.

**cloud_watcher: **Hey Naruto, how's the computer?

**Top_Dog: **the baka is on!

**10-10-220: **so he did get a computer

**Bar_be_cue: **well yeah, why would cloud lie.

**10-10-220: **idk, why does he sleep all the time?

**cloud_watcher: **Because I can.

**Top_Dog: **Naruto you there?

_How do they type so fast? They are running circles around me,_ Naruto thought.

**i_like_noodles: **hi everyone, what is up?

**Top_Dog: **delayed reaction much?

**10-10-220: **lol he probably can't type fast

**Top_Dog: **he might as well leave right now, no way he can keep up with us.

**cloud_watcher: **Ignore them Naruto.

**Bar_be_cue: **brb getting food.

**Top_Dog: **wonder if he will finish his sentence before bbq gets back.

**10-10-220: **lol

**Unknown_Heiress: **Sorry Naruto-kun, I'm sure Dog and 10-10 don't mean any harm.

_At least someone doesn't act like an idiot around here. _

**Top_Dog: **yeah I do

**10-10-220: **I could care less, I really don't know him

**cloud_watcher: **Well it's getting troublesome, cut it out.

_Make that two. _Hinata couldn't help but feel sad for Naruto. At least Shikamaru was willing to back her up in helping Naruto.

**10-10-220: **and you're gonna get off your butt and stop us?

**cloud_watcher: **Cheap shot.

**i_like_noodles: **how did you guys know it was me?

**Top_Dog: **damn, he's way back there.

**Bar_be_cue: **back

**10-10-220: **well he finished before bbq

**Top_Dog: **haha

* * *

Now Naruto was getting angry. He hadn't even been in the channel for two minutes and he was getting ridiculed for not knowing how to type. "Kuso, I need to figure out a way to type fast or they are going to keep laughing at me. It can't be that hard if they can do it." He was stumped. "How is one pair of hands supposed to cover the whole keyboard?" His eyes closed at he thought hard as he held that position for a good minute. Then his eyes shot open with a look of determination. His mouth started to smirk as he formed his favorite hand seals.

"_Kage Bunshin no Jutsu_!" Smoke filled his small room as three Naruto clones were formed. "Alright guys, you're going to help me type." He shook his fist and pointed at the computer with his other hand.

"Yosh!" the three clones exclaimed. They all huddled over to the computer and split the keyboard into sections for a clone to cover.

"Alright, let's try this again."

* * *

**Top_Dog: **slow slow slow

**flower_power: **haha

**i_like_noodles: **so where were we?

**Top_Dog: **well "we" were telling flower how slow you type, not sure how far back you are.

**i_like_noodles: **well I did ask how you guys knew it was me

**flower_power: **I thought you said he typed slow?

**10-10-220: **he did, not sure how that happened

Naruto's clones burst out laughing, his plan was a success. "Be serious guys, my reputation is at stake here!" The clones began to roar even louder with laughter at the thought of their "boss" having a reputation.

**i_like_noodles: **I got over it, so how did you know?

**Top_Dog: **it was either noodles or something to do with you being future Hokage

_Am I that obvious?_

**cloud_watcher: **The fact that your floor is its own hazard with ramen cups kinda gave it away.

Naruto's imaginary light bulb turned on when he realized that only one other person had ever been in his apartment.

**i_like_noodles: **Shikamaru?

**cloud_watcher: **Yep

**flower_power: **Shika! You said you wouldn't tell!

**cloud_watcher: **I didn't, he figured it out.

**i_like_noodles: **figure out what?

**Bar_be_cue: **they want you to guess who we are so they can have some fun with you.

**cloud_watcher: **It's troublesome but they threatened me.

It annoyed him how people wanted to use him for their amusement.

**i_like_noodles:** that's so stupid!

**flower_power: **well too bad, we aren't telling you anyways.

-_Cherry_Blossom- has joined the chat._

**flower_power: **Cherry! Your friend is here!

**Cherry_Blossom: **huh?

_Maybe this one is nice._

**i_like_noodles: **how's it going?

**Cherry_Blossom: **Oh… him.

He may not have been able to hear it, but reading those words still had the same effect. _"__Never mind.__"_

**i_like_noodles: **not exactly the warmest welcome

**Cherry_Blossom: **Wait, does he know who I am?

**flower_power: **don't think he does

**Top_Dog: **nah the loud mouth doesn't know who you are yet

**i_like_noodles: **I'm right here you know

**Top_Dog: **w/e I have better things to do then to listen to you, later

-_Top_Dog- has left the chat._

_Finally, he's gone._

**i_like_noodles: **what's his problem?

**flower_power: **dogs like him get restless at night.

**i_like_noodles: **ah. So I guess you guys want me to figure out who is who?

**Cherry_Blossom: **Pretty much.

_I think I'll start with this one, he's been really quiet._

**i_like_noodles: **well I'll start with...Dont_bug_me

-_Don't_bug_me- has left the chat._

_Or not. _

**flower_power: **his nickname really shows his personality

**i_like_noodles: **no kidding well how about… Unknown_Heiress next

_Let's see how the runner up does. _

**Unknown_Heiress: **Yes?

**i_like_noodles: **whats up? you've been quiet

Hinata, on the other hand, was not prepared for him to start questioning her. Her heartbeat quickened as she tried to anticipate his question.

**Unknown_Heiress: **I've been doing some chores around the house.

**Cherry_Blossom: **Suuure you have.

She started to panic. Hinata and Sakura had been friends since the academy and they shared quite a bit of secrets, especially how Hinata liked Naruto. Sakura was practically breaking their oath not to tell anyone and it was in front of Naruto. The pressure between Naruto's question and Sakura revealing her secret was overwhelming. She was so nervous, even her fingers started to type her very own stutters as if she was speaking.

**Unknown_Heiress: **CCherry!

**i_like_noodles: **anyways, first question for you

**Unknown_Heiress: **Yyyes?

The spastic typing would not stop.

**i_like_noodles: **well just by going off your name, and assuming you're an heiress of a clan…

**Unknown_Heiress: **Yyes.

He was dragging out his question; leaving her uneasy about what might come next.

**i_like_noodles:** so since you're an heiress, you must be beautiful, right?

She instantly froze.

**Cherry_Blossom: **Naruto! If I could, I would so punch you through the computer right now.

**cloud_watcher: **You should try thinking logically more often.

**i_like_noodles: **what did I do wrong?

In her mind, she had realized that this comment really meant nothing. However, her heart started racing. "I'm beautiful?" She simply muttered to herself. Her small fingers worked in an attempt to form a sentence on their own, but they were out of luck.

**Unknown_Heiress: **I I I

_Did I upset her? _

**flower_power: **haha, she's speechless!

**10-10-220: **rotflmao

**i_like_noodles: **what the?

**10-10-220: **it stands for "roll on the floor laughing my ass off," it's an acronym.

**i_like_noodles: **oh,so what's idk, lol, brb, and w/e mean?

**10-10-220: **I dont know

**flower_power: **laugh out loud

**Bar_be_cue: **be right back, brb food

**cloud_watcher: **what ever

_I'll have to keep those in mind. _

Hinata however, was fighting a losing battle. Her heart had heard what it wanted and started to convince her brain the same thing. She thought to herself "_He thinks I'm beautiful_." That was all it took before the heiress blacked out followed by her head hitting the keyboard.

**Unknown_Heiress: **bvhngjm

**i_like_noodles: **what about that one?

**flower_power: **not sure about that one

**Cherry_Blossom: **That can't be good, someone should go check on her.

**10-10-220: **I'll go, I need to see I_see_all anyways

-_10-10-220- has left the chat._

**flower_power: **omk Cherry! I just heard that Sasuke is over at training ground 24 with his shirt off! I'm going to bring him a towel!

_-flower_power- has left the chat._

**Cherry_Blossom: **Wait what, not if I get there first!

_-Cherry_Blossom- has left the chat._

_Great, more Sasuke fan girls. _

**cloud_watcher: **Troublesome, they can't keep their hands off of him.

**i_like_noodles: **whats omk?

**cloud_watcher: **O my kami.

**i_like_noodles: **Ah ok, well at least your still here along with Bar_be_cue and Unknown_Heiress

**cloud_watcher: **Bar_be_cue will probably leave any minute now. If he doesn't come back right away from getting food, then he probably went out somewhere to eat.

_-Bar_be_cue- has left the chat._

**i_like_noodles: **wow you weren't kidding. So he likes food a lot?

**cloud_watcher: **Yep.

**i_like_noodles: **Is that Chouji?

**cloud_watcher: **Yep.

**i_like_noodles: **alright 2 people figured out, now what about Unknown_Heiress?

**cloud_watcher: **Can't tell you much, I don't really talk with her.

**i_like_noodles: **well what can you tell me?

**cloud_watcher: **Nothing

**i_like_noodles: **what?!

**cloud_watcher: **I only know her name, if I told you, it would be giving it away and flower would have it out for me.

**i_like_noodles: **well I hope she's alright, I don't think I did anything wrong

**cloud_watcher: **I'm sure she's fine, now I need to head off to sleep.

**i_like_noodles: **sleep? It's like 9

**cloud_watcher: **People like me need lots of sleep, I'll talk with you later.

_-cloud_watcher- has left the chat._

_Thanks Shikamaru…  
_

_

* * *

  
_

Naruto was now alone. Well, as alone as he could be in a chat room with an unconscious person. The clones had already dispersed. He couldn't help but wonder if it was somehow his fault. The blonde boy flopped on his bed without shutting the computer off. His brain had started to kick in as he recalled what he could about "Unknown_Heiress." His lips started to voice his thoughts. "Well she didn't talk much, maybe she was nervous. Nah that can't be it, how can you be nervous over the internet? It's not like people can see what you're doing, just your words."

Azure eyes slowly started to close as sleep was about to overtake him. That is, if it wasn't for the noise that the computer made when someone sent a message. The noise jerked him up in the direction of the computer. Still sitting in bed, he looked over to see if it was worth it to address the person messaging him. It was her. He quickly stood up and just as fast, he sat down on the computer chair. "_Kage Bunshin no Jutsu."_ Three clones appeared to help again with the ninja's typing.

* * *

_A couple minutes earlier_

"Hinata?" A loud voice combined with vicious poking had caused Hinata's eyes to slowly open. "Hinata, people are talking about you in your chat channel." Violet eyes shot open the rest of the way and looked over in the direction of the voice. Hanabi just gave a small smile while tilting her head slightly. "That noodle guy seems worried about you." That was all it took before Hinata started to swat away her little sister. Hanabi let out a playful giggle as she rushed out of her sister's room.

Hinata sat up trying to regain what dignity she had left. She scanned over the computer to see what had happened while she was out. It was down to Naruto and her in the current channel. She debated with herself if she should say something to him. "He deserves to know I'm alright, and I don't have to stay on long since everyone else left." Reassured that it was the right thing to do, her fingers began to start typing.

* * *

**Unknown_Heiress: **Are you still there?

_She's back!_

**i_like_noodles: **you're ok!

There was no way she could tell him why she had fainted.

**Unknown_Heiress: **Yeah, I'm sorry, it was hot over here and I kind of passed out from the heat.

Naruto let out the small breath he was holding.

**i_like_noodles: **oh thank goodness. not the part about you passing out, I thought it was completely my fault

**Unknown_Heiress:** I'm sorry that I worried you.

**i_like_noodles:** nah don't be, it's not like you did it on purpose...is it alright if I ask you some questions now, ya know, to figure out who you are?

The raven haired girl tried her best to stay calm, _I guess it wouldn't hurt to stay on a bit longer. Besides, he can't see me so it should be easier to talk with him, right? _ Quietly agreeing with herself, she continued.

**Unknown_Heiress: **I don't see the problem, it's still kind of early.

**i_like_noodles: **sweet, now is that Top_Dog guy always like that?

**Unknown_Heiress: **Yeah I'm sorry about him, I think he just doesn't like you.

**i_like_noodles:** yeah I get that from a lot of people

Hinata felt hurt by the comment but also became curious as to why people hated him. _Maybe he would be willing to tell me why people hate him. _

**Unknown_Heiress:** I've noticed the villagers glare at you sometimes, did you do something to them?

**i_like_noodles:** It's not what I did…It's who I am.

**Unknown_Heiress: **That's terrible, how can they hate you for who you are?

**i_like_noodles: **I'd rather not say.

She hit a soft spot and she knew it.

**Unknown_Heiress: **I'm sorry, I didn't mean to push it on you.

**i_like_noodles: **forget about it. but we really need to work on your apologizing.

**Unknown_Heiress: **Huh?

**i_like_noodles:** you apologize way too much, it's starting to give me the idea that you aren't confident.

**Unknown_Heiress:** I'm really not.

**i_like_noodles:** oh? Care to share.

It wasn't as if she didn't want to answer him, but she had no clue how to answer him.

**Unknown_Heiress: **Um…well…I

And now it was his turn to hit her soft spot. _"Bad move, bad move Naruto."_

**i_like_noodles: **I should stop you there, it's not really fair if I wouldn't share and then made you.

**Unknown_Heiress:** Yeah, I guess you're right.

A sigh of relief escaped Hinata…

**i_like_noodles: **next question, how come you didn't talk much with the others?

…only to get pulled back in.

**Unknown_Heiress:** Well…um…they were mostly making fun of you.

Her response caught him off guard.

**i_like_noodles:** wait…so you don't hate me?

**Unknown_Heiress:** No…should I?

**i_like_noodles:** that's not what I meant, it's just a lot of the kids from the academy make fun of me. You know, like how the others were tonight.

**Unknown_Heiress:** I never understood why they would laugh in class.

**i_like_noodles:** wait, you were in my class?

Her fingers started to panic again. Each question that she answered revealed a little bit more about whom she was and her feelings for Naruto. She was slightly relieved to remember that he didn't know who he was talking to, but that couldn't last forever.

**Unknown_Heiress:** Yes.

**i_like_noodles: **how could you not laugh, I practically making a fool out of myself!

**Unknown_Heiress:** It's not right to laugh at someone when they are trying their hardest.

For the second time tonight, he was caught off guard. However this response seemed to hit him harder.

**i_like_noodles:** you really believe that?

Hinata closed her eyes as she typed two words that she had hoped weren't a mistake.

**Unknown_Heiress: **I do.

**i_like_noodles:** hmmm

**Unknown_Heiress:** What is it?

It was a roughly a minute before there was any indication by the computer that he was typing something. Many kinds of possibilities crossed her mind as she waited for him to respond.

**i_like_noodles: **you know, I like you. your completely honest and you give me a chance unlike others. I'm glad they came up with this challenge.

**Unknown_Heiress:** You are?

**i_like_noodles: **yeah! If it wasn't for them, I would never have found someone as nice as you.

She was shocked from his statement. "I thought he hated their plan."

**Unknown_Heiress: **You're not angry at the others?

**i_like_noodles: **well I still am a little bit, but I figure the pros outweigh the cons.

**Unknown_Heiress: **Oh.

**i_like_noodles: **after all, I am going to become the Hokage someday! I need to learn how to deal with problems like this.

A giggle escaped her mouth. She always liked hearing him boast about becoming the Hokage.

**Unknown_Heiress:** That makes sense.

**i_like_noodles: **you better be ready for me though, I really want to know who you are the most.

**Unknown_Heiress: **Ok.

His words gave her a feeling she couldn't explain. There was a part of her that didn't want him to figure out who she was so the feeling wouldn't end. Hopefully he would be willing to talk more with her.

**i_like_noodles: **but it's getting kind of late for me now so I think I'll be leaving. will you be on tomorrow night?

She sighed, _Maybe tomorrow._

**Unknown_Heiress:** I should be.

**i_like_noodles: **awesome. I'll look forward to it.

She mustered up the courage to call him back before he left.

**Unknown_Heiress: **Wait.

**i_like_noodles: **yeah?

**Unknown_Heiress: **Here.

Naruto looked at his screen with confusion. A strange box appeared.

**i_like_noodles: **whats this?

**Unknown_Heiress: **It's a friend request…so we can see when one of us is on and…send private messages to each other.

**i_like_noodles: **that's great! I guess it's fitting that you get to be my first friend on here.

He quickly accepted the invite.

**Unknown_Heiress: **Glad you like it.

**i_like_noodles: **well I'll talk with you tomorrow ok?

**Unknown_Heiress: **Yes.

**i_like_noodles: **great, look forward to it.

_-i_like_noodles- has left the chat._

He had left before hearing her answer.

**Unknown_Heiress: **Me too.

_-Unknown_Heiress- has left the chat._

_

* * *

  
_

Naruto, once again, flopped on his bed. This time though, he gazed out through his window to stare at the stars in the sky. A smile grew as he saw how they twinkled in the moonlight. He couldn't shake the feeling that he found someone who didn't dislike him. Turning to his side, he closed his eyes. There was a feeling about him that said tomorrow would be a good day. "Thanks Dad, for everything."

* * *

Hinata hadn't moved from the computer. She simply stared at the screen looking back at what she and Naruto had talked about. A familiar warmness rose in her cheeks as she reread one of his sentences, "You know, I like you." She sighed to herself a little wishing that he actually knew who he was talking too.

Finally breaking away from her computer, violet eyes gazed out of the window at the twinkling stars. Her violet eyes seemed to glow against the stars that night. She couldn't believe the opportunity that had been given to her. If someone had told her today that she would be able to talk with Naruto freely without worry, she would have denied it until she was blue in the face. After making her way over to the bed, she put her head to rest on her pillow and fell into a deep sleep with a small smile on her face.

* * *

There you go, hope you all like it. Sorry if you find the length too long. Also, I'm pretty sure that this chapter has the most messages sent. I'll try to make them small in future chapters.

On a side note, thanks to you all who reviewed the first chapter. And a special thanks to Blondi89 who has helped me out with the first and second chapter. Thanks!


	3. Chunin Application

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. Never have, never will.

A/N: A quick note, I changed the format a little so when ever you read that someone is thinking something, its in _Italics_. Hope it's not too confusing.

* * *

Chapter 3: Chunin Application

A new day started to come as the sun began to peak over the horizon. The sunlight hit the morning clouds so they were colored with a mix of vibrant red and orange. If you would ask most people, they would say that it was one of the most beautiful mornings that they had ever seen.

Sadly, Naruto was not like most people. He cursed these wonderful mornings because the window over his bed always managed to capture the light and project it onto him. Today, this resulted in him squirming until he would fall off his bed onto the mess of clothes and ramen cups. He took a deep breath in and caught the scent of an empty ramen cup that was three inches from his nose. Closing his eyes in pleasure, he simply smiled, "Ramen sounds good for breakfast."

As Naruto sat there motionlessly debating with himself if he should get up from the floor, he began to hear a faint buzzing noise. "That's either a really big bug, or…" his voice trailed off as he looked in the direction of the mysterious noise. Sleepy eyes widened as he discovered what was happening. "I left the computer on!" He had heard stories about Shikamaru's computer overheating due to it being on all night after the lazy boy would fall asleep suddenly. It couldn't help but make Naruto fear for the worst.

The orange shinobi darted up from position on the floor and raced to the computer. His azure eyes skimmed over the computer screen to see if anything was wrong then quickly checked behind the computer to find where the noise was coming from. He did this all while muttering "Please be ok. Please be ok." A sigh of relief came out once he noticed that it was just the fan buzzing.

Naruto went to relax in the chair while he began to turn off the computer. "I have a feeling that this will happen more often." Just before he clicked the shutdown button, a small box at the bottom of the screen popped informing that he had mail. "Huh? Who wakes up before 9:30 on a Saturday?!" While he waited for the computer to load the mail, his mind began thinking of people who would try to contact him over the computer. A smile came over his face once he remembered the person who talked with him last night.

"I wonder if it's Unknown Heiress, she must be a morning person." While Naruto was partially right, the message did not come from her. His eyes narrowed once he saw the name of the sender. "Teme…"

_From: Sasuke_

_To: i_like_noodles_

_Dobe, _

_Kakashi-sensei wants us at Konoha's south bridge at 10 for a meeting._

_S._

"A meeting at 10?" Naruto checked out the clock in the corner of the screen. He rubbed his eyes and looked again to make sure he saw the right time. "Crap, its 9:37! I'm gonna be late." Quickly, he shut off the computer this time and made his way out of the room. Pausing in his small kitchen, he sighed. "Looks like breakfast ramen will have to wait." He bolted out the door still wearing his regular clothes on from the day before.

* * *

The sky had begun to take a turn for the worst. More clouds had appeared in the sky to block out the sun's refreshing rays. _So much for a nice day. _ Naruto thought has he hurried through the streets. He managed to make it to the bridge in time to be met with the glare of onyx eyes and a howling wind that sent a shiver down his spine. _"Great, he's already here." _Sasuke was leaning on the bridge railing with his arms crossed.

"I'm surprised you made it here on time and you beat Sakura," the black haired boy stated.

"Well, you didn't exactly give me much time." Naruto retorted while trying to catch his breath. There was an awkward silence between the two, other than Naruto panting like no tomorrow. Sasuke looked off in another direction away from Naruto as if preoccupied with something else. The blond decided to make an attempt at a conversation. "So, do you think it will rain today?"

Sasuke turned his head back to the blond. He let out a "Hm" before responding. "Are you that desperate to get my attention dobe?" After watching Naruto get frustrated, he turned his head back to what was preoccupying him before.

Naruto clenched his fists and grinded his teeth at the comment. He hated how Sasuke would act all high and mighty just because he was an Uchiha and a genius. There had been a long pause after Sasuke's comment and Naruto couldn't take the silence anymore. He decided to ask Sasuke something on his mind. "How come you don't have a fancy screen name?"

Sasuke closed his eyes and gave a smirk. "I only have KIM in case I need to contact you, Sakura or Kakashi. I have better things that I could be doing."

"Yeah yeah, getting stronger to kill your brother, I know." Naruto responded quickly as an attempt to get a reaction out of the other boy and it worked. Sasuke's eyes were now fixed on Naruto. His gaze combined with a strong wind gust caused Naruto's skin to crawl. He took a step back to gain some distance. Before anything else could be said, he heard a faint voice on the other side of the bridge.

"Sasuke-kun!" Sakura shouted while waving a hand in the air. Naruto turned around and greeted her with a smile only to be pushed out of the way. "I'm sorry I wasn't here earlier to keep you company." She brought her hands together under her chin and gave him a puppy dog look. Sasuke only responded with an "Hm" and looked off in another direction to avoid her. Naruto got up from the ground rubbing the part of his head that hit the railing.

"Oww, Sakura-chan. That hurt!" He gazed at her only to be met by her glare.

"No one cares Naruto, now don't talk to me or I'll start getting a headache." She turned back around to talk with Sasuke only to find out that he moved to the other side of the bridge. Hiding her disappointment, she rested her arms on the railing and looked out on the river.

"I care," Naruto muttered to himself so the others wouldn't hear. Not wanting to disrupt the awkward silence this time, he simply sat on the railing with his feet dangling over the edge. He thought about what happened. _I don't get how I bug Sakura-chan so much; am I that much off a bother to people?_ He had often wondered this back in the academy when others didn't want to play ninja with him, but thinking back to the academy reminded him of the conversation he had last night.

_**Unknown_Heiress:**__ Well…um…they were mostly making fun of you._

_**i_like_noodles:**__ wait…so you don't hate me?_

_**Unknown_Heiress:**__ No…should I?_

_**i_like_noodles:**__ that's not what I meant, it's just a lot of the kids from the academy make fun of me. You know, like how the others were tonight. _

_**Unknown_Heiress:**__ I never understood why they would laugh in class._

_**i_like_noodles: **__how could you not laugh, I practically making a fool out of myself!_

_**Unknown_Heiress:**__ It's not right to laugh at someone when they are trying their hardest._

Naruto felt better after recalling that memory. He had found someone else who didn't hate him or make fun of him. He couldn't shake the feeling, but then again, he didn't want too. It was a sort of warm, comforting feeling that he hadn't experienced before but he liked it. _Iruka-sensei had always been motivational to me, but the feeling I get from recalling her words is different. It's kind of how I feel for Sakura-chan, except better._ He looked over at Sakura to see her attempting to get Sasuke's attention. With a sigh, Naruto gazed back over the river and closed his eyes.

It didn't take long before Naruto's thoughts would be broken. "Yo." The sudden words startled the blond ninja, causing him to fall backwards onto the bridge floor with a loud thud. Sakura and Sasuke walked over to where Naruto was lying on the ground.

"You're late Kakashi-sensei!" Naruto and Sakura exclaimed.

"Well you see, there was an old man who lost his cane in the middle of the road." Kakashi paused to see if they believed him.

"Lair!" the two shouted again.

"Sorry, but I figured the gifts that I have for you all will make up for it." Sakura and Naruto gave him a confused look while Sasuke barely showed any difference in his expression. "I'll keep this short for you since today is our day off. I have decided to enter you all in the Chunin Exams that take place later this week. Here are the applications that you need to fill out. Just follow the instructions on the back for turning it in. Now, if you will excuse me." Kakashi left in a ball of smoke while his students looked over the paper curiously.

Naruto's eyes started to beam. He had heard about the Chunin Exams and now he finally had an application in his hands. This was his chance to prove himself that he was strong enough for tougher missions like the one he went on from the Land of Waves. He was so engrossed with the piece of paper that he never noticed Sakura or Sasuke leave. "This calls for a celebration! Who's up for ramen?" Looking around, he noticed that no one was there. With a sigh, he began to walk in the direction of his favorite restaurant. "I guess it's a one man celebration today."

* * *

Walking down the streets of Konoha, Naruto couldn't help but add a little skip to his stride. "Man, the Chunin Exams. This is great!" he practically shouted gaining the attention from everyone else around him. A sheepish grin came across his face while he scratched the back of his head in an attempt to hide his embarrassment. Making his way through the crowd, he managed to find the raven haired kunoichi that he had unknowingly talked with the night before. She seemed deep in thought, which caused him to become curious. "Hey Hinata, what's up?"

Hinata snapped out of her thoughts once she heard her name. Looking over in the direction of the voice, she let out an "eep" once she realized who it was. She quickly shoved a piece of paper in her pocket before Naruto was in talking distance. "N-nothing r-really." Her head turned away to avoid his gaze.

_Crap, she's getting shy again._ He thought around for a minute about possible conversation starters that might get her to talk. "Hey, check this out." He pulled out his application for the exams. "My sensei recommended me for the Chunin Exams!"

"T-that's g-great N-Naruto-kun." Hinata's stutter had taken over and a blush crept across her face. She couldn't quite figure out why she was having problems looking at him, that is, until their eyes locked. His deep blue eyes felt comforting to her as if saying "everything will be alright." The feeling practically made her legs feel like jelly. She immediately looked at the ground and shut her eyes to save herself. If this had been any other situation, she would go to her happy place right about now, but her happy place involved being with Naruto.

Naruto started to realize that this was turning into the same exact situation as yesterday. So he decided to try a different approach with her. Resting his arm on her shoulder he tried asking a question that Sakura would always refuse. "Say Hinata, you wouldn't want to get ramen with me?" Her head shot up with the question. She tried to form a sentence with her mouth but nothing would come out. "I mean, I was going out to celebrate and none of my teammates wanted to so I just figured…" his voice trailed off figuring that she would refuse.

"Y-y-yes!" Her voice had come out so suddenly that even she was shocked by it. Naruto was startled at first but then a smile grew on his face. He grabbed her hand and pulled her along the road towards Ichiraku's ramen shop. Her blush kept turning a different shade of red every couple seconds. Naruto was completely oblivious to the effect he had on her.

They finally made it to the ramen shop after what seemed forever to Hinata. The store owner, Teuchi, happily greeted his favorite customer. "Welcome Naruto! What can I get for you and your…" he paused for a minute to looked at the girl next to him. Her face was completely red and she was holding Naruto's hand. It was only safe to assume, "…date?"

"It's not a date!" Naruto shouted. He turned to look at Hinata noticing the redness in her face and that he was still holding her hand. Simply putting two and two together, he quickly apologized. "Sorry Hinata, I didn't realize. You must not like being touched."

After realizing what Naruto had said, Hinata quickly made her way to an open stool. Immediately she began fidgeting with her fingers and stared at the floor. She simply thought to herself, _If only that was the problem._ Naruto decided to follow her actions and took the stool to the left of Hinata.

"I'll take one miso ramen please." Naruto beamed with a smile.

Teuchi smirked knowing that was Naruto's usual. He looked curiously over at Hinata waiting for her order.

Naruto nudged Hinata to get her to look up. He whispered in her ear to get her attention. "Hey, what kind do you want?"

Hinata quickly looked up in response to Naruto's nudge. Her eyes widened when she noticed everyone staring at her. She hated being the center of attention, especially when Naruto was involved. She stumbled out a sentence in order to withdraw the attention she was getting. "I'll h-have t-the same t-thing." It worked, until Naruto decided to start up a conversation with her.

"So Hinata, what where you doing in the middle of the street earlier? You looked kind of confused to me." He looked at her intently, trying to peel away at the shell she was in. Hinata didn't want her voice to betray her so she simply pulled out the crumpled piece of paper from her pocket. "No way, you got an application for the Chunin Exam? That's great!" She gave him a small smile to show her appreciation and then turned to look at the store owner as he gave them their soup.

"Arigato," they both replied. Naruto looked at his bowl of ramen with great interest. Taking a long sniff of the steaming ramen to enjoy the scent, he broke his chopsticks and rubbed them together. "Itadakimasu."

"You know, they say sniffing ramen kills brain cells." Naruto turned around with noodles dangling out of his mouth to find the new voice. He quickly slurped them up to give his comeback.

"It's better than sitting around all day looking at clouds." After giving Shikamaru a smirk he turned around to slurp up some more noodles. "What brings you here?"

"I could hear you across the street so I figured I'd see what's new with you." Shikamaru strolled in with his hands in his pockets and took the empty seat to the left of Naruto. He looked over Naruto's shoulder and noticed Hinata sitting there taking small bites of the noodles from her soup. He gave a little smirk as an interesting idea came to him. "So Naruto…" he paused to gain the other boys attention. "…did Unknown Heiress ever come back on last night?"

Hinata immediately looked over to her left at the black haired boy. Her eyes were in horror that he would reveal who she is. Naruto missed the look from Hinata since he was already focusing on the newest member of their group. "Yeah she did, and ya know what? She's awesome!" Naruto got his second bowl that Teuchi had prepared in advance for him. "She's really kind and nice, although she doesn't seem to be that confident. If only I knew who she was, I'm sure that I could help her out." Hinata's blush began to grow again as she went back to nibbling on her soup.

Shikamaru raised an eyebrow at the comment. He sighed, realizing how completely oblivious the blond was of the girl right next to him. "Well, I'm glad to-" he was cut short by Naruto shoving his Chunin Exam application in his face.

"Check it out, my sensei thinks I'm good enough for the Chunin Exams!" He waved it frantically in front of Shikamaru's face. Before he could say something, Naruto stuffed it back in his pocket and got up from his chair. "Actually it's good you came along and reminded me of Unknown Heiress, I wanna tell her about this before I go training this afternoon." He bolted out of the ramen stand shouting out a "thank you" to Shikamaru that faded as he got further away.

The black haired boy sighed at blond's antics. He looked over at Hinata who was left dumbstruck as to what just happened. "You should probably get going, wouldn't want to disappoint him." Hinata nodded with a smile and quickly made her way out of the stand. Shikamaru got up and was about to leave when he was stopped by the store owner's voice.

"You know, they didn't pay the bill." The boy turned around and gave a defeated look along with another sigh.

"Why did I open my mouth…troublesome." He reached in his back pocket for his wallet.

* * *

Naruto made it to his house and swung open his door. He quickly bolted to his bedroom, jumping over the mess on his floor and landing on his bed. He dove from the bed into the chair and hit the power button on the computer. "Comon comon, load faster." His foot tapped faster with anticipation.

When the computer finally loaded, he started up K.I.M. and began to log in. There were three people in the genin chat, but to his dismay, she wasn't one of them. He looked over at the clock to check the time. "It's still early and I don't need to train just yet, maybe she will log on." Agreeing with himself, he logged in and made three other clones to join him.

**Top_Dog: ** pfft, you should just learn to deal with it.

**Cherry_Blossom:** All I'm saying is that if the Hokage made a law that required your whole clan to carry plastic bags with them, then we wouldn't have to worry about your dogs taking a crap everywhere!

**flower_power: **amen.

_-i_like_noodles- has joined the chat._

**i_like_noodles: **hey guys.

**Cherry_Blossom: **Great, another annoying person.

**i_like_noodles: **I'm not annoying!

**Top_Dog: ** don't group me with him!

**flower_power:** I'm going to have to agree with Cherry on this one.

There was a pause between the four of them. The original three really didn't feel like starting up a conversation with Naruto, so he took the liberty of starting one himself.

**i_like_noodles: **so… I got an application for the Chunin Exam today.

**Cherry_Blossom:** Told you he would brag about that.

**flower_power: **pre-dic-ta-ble

**Top_Dog: ** you're not the only special one Naruto, we also got applications for the exam

**i_like_noodles:** tell me top dog, does that mean you will be there?

**Top_Dog: ** you bet!

**i_like_noodles:** good, it will give me a chance to wipe the floor with you and show you who the real top dog is!

**Cherry_Blossom: **...

**flower_power:** wow, I can't believe he tried to use that pun.

**Top_Dog: ** haha

Naruto was in the process of making a comeback when a box appeared in the middle of the screen. It was a private chat invitation with Unknown Heiress.

**i_like_noodles:** fine if you're just going to keep mocking me then I'll leave.

_-i_like_noodles- has left the chat._

**Top_Dog: ** top dogs don't run away like scaredy cats!

**Cherry_Blossom: **seriously?

**flower_power:** Kiba, don't talk

**Top_Dog: ** what?

* * *

_-In a private chat-_

**i_like_noodles: **hey, how are you doing today?

**Unknown_Heiress: **Hello. I'm alright, although the weather doesn't look promising.

**i_like_noodles:** It's going to rain and I still need to train for the day. :'o(

**Unknown_Heiress: **What is that?

**i_like_noodles:** my attempt at a sad face.

**Unknown_Heiress:** Ah, so how are you?

**i_like_noodles: **awesome! you will never guess what happened to me!

**Unknown_Heiress:** You got a Chunin Exam application?

**i_like_noodles: **wha? how did you know?

Hinata forgot that Naruto didn't know who she was. She quickly came up with a lie hoping that he would believe it.

**Unknown_Heiress: **Sakura told me and I got one also.

**i_like_noodles: **that's great! I'll get to see you there hopefully.

**Unknown_Heiress:** Yeah I guess.

He was stunned. Going to the Chunin Exam was one of the biggest accomplishments for a genin, and she didn't seem thrilled like he was.

**i_like_noodles: **you guess? how can you not be excited for it? I mean, I have my application practically filled out already.

**Unknown_Heiress: **It's nothing.

**i_like_noodles: **comon tell me! maybe I can help.

Hinata didn't really want to get into the details, she hated to think about what everyone thought of her. While typing an excuse, her mind began to think about what the boy had said earlier that day. _She doesn't seem to be that confident. If only I knew who she was, I'm sure that I could help her out. _"Maybe he can help me," she muttered as she started to type.

**Unknown_Heiress:** I'm sorry, it's just…do you remember how last night I said that I didn't have much confidence?

**i_like_noodles: **yeah

**Unknown_Heiress: **Well, I'm just not sure that I can make it through.

**i_like_noodles: **you shouldn't worry about it too much, just think of it like it's another one of your missions that you usually go on.

**Unknown_Heiress: **That's one of the problems. I'm always messing up on missions and sometimes cause our team to fail.

**i_like_noodles: **that's why teammates are there to help you, so you can have someone to rely on.

**Unknown_Heiress:** Usually one of the teammates makes fun of me when I mess up and blames me when we fail the mission.

**i_like_noodles: **then he's a jerk. what about the other one?

**Unknown_Heiress:** He doesn't talk much so I can only imagine what he is thinking.

**i_like_noodles:** what about your teacher?

**Unknown_Heiress:** She is nice and all, but sometimes I get the feeling like she is irritated with me.

**i_like_noodles: **well at least she doesn't sound too bad, I'm sure your family supports you though.

**Unknown_Heiress: **Not exactly, my mother died when I was younger and my father thinks that I'm too week for the clan. Everyone treats me like a failure.

Failure was a word that Naruto despised the most. He had always tried to prove to everyone that he wasn't a failure so he knew the pain she was going through.

**i_like_noodles:** you're not a failure!

**Unknown_Heiress:** How do you know? You don't even know who I am.

**i_like_noodles:** Believe me, I was the failure of the academy class and I would know if there were any other failures.

**Unknown_Heiress:** But I'm still a failure when it matters the most on missions.

Naruto took a long pause before typing his next comment. It hurt him to see someone that cared about him beat themselves up because of what other people think.

**i_like_noodles:** do you always want to be referred to as a failure?

**Unknown_Heiress:** No.

**i_like_noodles:** then you need to have the courage to change yourself.

She didn't know what to type. Changing is easier said than done.

**Unknown_Heiress:** …

**i_like_noodles:** don't change just because they want you too. I can relate to how you want to change. my teammates think I'm a failure and the whole village hates me, that's why I want to prove them wrong. I want to become the Hokage to prove them wrong. That's my nindo!

Hinata was speechless. She had always seen either the jokester side of Naruto which everyone would laugh at, or the determined side of Naruto that never gave up. However, this caring side of Naruto was new to her. He was really speaking from his heart. It was that moment when she decided to follow his nindo, to change herself.

**i_like_noodles:** you have to give yourself a reason to change, and if you can't think of one, then change for me, because it hurts me when my friends put themselves down.

**Unknown_Heiress:** Naruto-kun…

**i_like_noodles:** yeah?

**Unknown_Heiress:** Thank you, I'll start to fill out the application right away.

He smiled at her comment.

**i_like_noodles:** now that's the spirit! since you're going to be filling that out, I'm going to go training before it starts to rain this afternoon. I'll catch you later ok?

**Unknown_Heiress:** Alright. Be careful, and thank you.

**i_like_noodles:** heh, I'm Naruto, I can take on anything.

_-i_like_noodles- has left the chat.

* * *

_

Hinata sat in her chair looking over what Naruto had said to her. "You're not a failure," she repeated quietly. Grabbing a pencil, she decided to add the moment the two had just shared to a mental checklist of "reasons why she liked Naruto." She pulled the crumpled application out of her jacket and did her best to unwrinkle the paper. After writing her name at the top, she looked up from the paper to skim over more of the conversation she had. "Change for me," she muttered again. She brought her hands to her cheeks as a reaction to the blush the crept along her face.

Focusing her attention back to the paper, she began to fill out a little more until she decided to join the genin chat with her other friends. At least there, she could enjoy some company while writing the application.

* * *

Naruto got up from his chair and set his application on the table. He stood in his room for a couple seconds thinking about how he had helped his new chat friend. The warm feeling that he had felt before started to come back to him, this time causing him to get his own faint blush across his cheeks. Already in a good mood, he decided to do something that he had put off for a while: clean his floor, or at least the part from the computer to the doorway. The rest would come in time.

As he dropped the trash in the garbage can, he began to stretch out for his afternoon warm up jog. "Stretch the arms…then the legs." His body movement followed with his words. "One..two..three, one..two..three, one..two-" he was cut off mid sentence from several loud knocks on his door followed by shouts.

"Naruto-nii-chan! Open the door! Quick!"

* * *

Here is the third chapter, hope you guys like it. A big thank you for everyone who reviewed and another thanks to Blondie. :)


	4. Unspoken Feelings

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. Never have, never will.

* * *

Chapter 4: Unspoken Feelings

The knocks at Naruto's door became louder. "Open the door, quick!" The blond walked over to the door with a puzzled look on his face. He peaked through the eye hole to see Konohamaru pound on the door with a frightened look on his face. The little boy's head would look frantically around every couple seconds as if on the lookout for someone.

"Konohamaru, how do you know where I live?" Naruto shouted through the door.

"Just let me in, it's an emergency!" Konohamaru beat harder on the door to add emphasis.

"Yeah but it's very important that we focus on the whole 'how you know where I live' issue." Naruto retorted back. He always liked teasing the younger boy.

"Just let me in ok, she's gone CRAZY!" Konohamaru was shouting like no tomorrow. "Hurry, hurry! She'll be here any minute!" His voice was getting even more panicky.

"It was Sakura-chan wasn't it? She hates me," the blond responded, still teasing the child although it hurt Naruto realizing what he said was true.

"NARUTO!" That was the final scream before Naruto gave in; he swung open the door to let the boy in. Konohamaru flew face first onto the floor in front of him. Quickly turning to the blond, he shouted again, "Quick, shut it and lock it!"

Naruto did as he was told. After connecting the final locks, he turned to the boy with his arms crossed and glared at him suspiciously. Konohamaru was still on the floor breathing heavily. "You mind telling me what is going on?"

The boy looked back at Naruto and gave a sheepish grin. It was similar to Naruto's famous bright smile, only smaller and the boy had a tooth missing. "Well, you see, I was practicing the 'Oiroke no Jutsu' with Udon, and Moegi showed up without warning and she went crazy! I managed to get away, but poor Udon."

Naruto raised an eyebrow, "That's it?" He paused for a moment to think. "I must see it! If it was enough to make her mad then you must be improving, right?" His eyes beamed with excitement as he pumped his fists in the air.

Konohamaru got up off the ground and into a ready position. "Right boss, here I go. _Oiroke no Jutsu_." A cloud of smoke surrounded the boy as he transformed into one of the most beautiful girls Naruto had ever seen. The girl twirled around and winked at Naruto suggestively. However, the blond still stood there as if nothing had even happened. Disappointed with the results, another cloud of smoke surrounded the girl but this time revealed Konohamaru. "I see you're unphased by my technique," the boy replied while sulking.

Naruto squinted his eyes and brought a hand up to his chin to evaluate the boy's performance. "Well it was alright, I'd give you a six out of ten. You could use some work in the bam, boom, bam department." The younger boy looked confused. "You know, give it some more oomph."

"Ah, you know where to point out my flaws. Nothing less than expected from my rival!" Konohamaru spirit was rejuvenated up after learning his mistake. Suddenly, a faint buzzing sound caught him by surprise. He started to wander over towards Naruto's bedroom. "Hey boss, what's that noise?"

The blond's eyes shot open once he recognized the sound from earlier that morning. "Aww crap, I left the computer on!" Quickly, he ran past Konohamaru knocking the boy off balance. "I really need to learn to shut this thing off."

"Woah." It was Konohamaru's turn to become surprised. "You finally got a computer?!" The boy followed Naruto's example and ran into his bedroom. He made his way over to the computer and started eyeing it up and down. "Hey don't shut it off, I wanna try it!"

Naruto turned around in his computer chair. "Now why would I let you try the computer? You will probably end up breaking it. It's older than you, ya know?" He gave a sheepish grin waiting for the younger boy's response.

Konohamaru thought about the situation for a second. He snickered to himself when an idea came to his mind. "If I break your computer…I won't bug you for a week and I'll clean your bedroom." He nodded his head to agree with his own statement.

The older boy thought about the proposition. _Well the room does need to be cleaned, and he's just a kid. What's the worst that could happen?_ "Alright Konohamaru, you're on." Getting up from the chair, Naruto ushered the boy to sit down.

They boy's eyes lit up as Naruto agreed to his offer. He jumped up onto the chair and spun it around once to test it out. As the boy came to a stop, he flexed his fingers and cracked his knuckles in anticipation. "Alright time to see who is on KIM."

Naruto watched the boy's hands as he started to type on the computer. _So that's how people type fast._ He started to walk out of the room to get a drink of water. "Do whatever you want, just don't make me look like an idiot."

"Whatever, I have my own screen name you know," Konohamaru retorted, never looking away from the computer screen.

The blond stopped walking half way to the kitchen, an idea had come to his mind. _I could use Konohamaru's screen name to play some pranks on the people in the chat, then I could figure out who some of the people are. Brilliant!_ A smile grew on his face as he rushed back into his room. He leaned on the chair as his azure eyes quickly looked over the other boy's shoulders "Hey Kono, you should check out to see what's happening in the genin chat."

The younger boy spun his chair causing Naruto to lose his balance. Konohamaru eyed the blond suspiciously, "What for?"

"You'll pay for that." Naruto stood up rubbing the part of his head that hit the floor, "I just plan on having some fun with the people in there, ok?" He gave a chuckle along with a scheming grin.

Konohamaru nodded in agreement with his own smile. He spun the chair around and started to click away.

* * *

Hinata's heart began to sink. When she first joined the genin chat, she only paid a little attention to what was going on. She wanted to get her application filled out for Naruto's sake. However, now she was fully engrossed in the conversation trying to read all that was happening. She wasn't sure how it started, but for some reason today had been turned into "let's all rant about Naruto" day.

Hinata reached over to her bed and grabbed her pillow. Her eyes began to tear up and it was soon going to be Sakura's turn. Hinata was going to need all the help she could get.

* * *

**flower_power: **then there was this one time, he came to the flower shop

**Cherry_Blossom: **What happened?

**flower_power:** he farted by a bunch of flowers, to say the least, they all died

**Top_Dog:** haha priceless

**Cherry_Blossom: **Wow, haha.

**10-10-220: **rofl

Hinata crushed her pillow by burrowing her head into it. With all her might, she fought to hold back the tears that were coming. "It's not fair, how can they say such awful things about him."

**Top_Dog:** Bugsy, has Naruto ever done anything to you?

**Dont_bug_me: **I'd rather not partake in this conversation and must you call me Bugsy?

**Top_Dog: **hey you picked the name, just tell us if he has ever done anything to make you mad

**flower_power: **comon Shino, spill!

**Dont_bug_me: **Well, he did step on one of my bugs once.

**Cherry_Blossom: **I think he was doing us a favor.

**flower_power: **gonna have to agree with forehead here

-_Dont_bug_me- has left the chat._

**Cherry_Blossom:** Is he alright?

**Top_Dog:** he'll get over it

With her head still crushed against the pillow, Hinata looked over at her window to notice the light drizzle of rain change into a downpour. It caused her heart to ache. _If it's raining this heavy, Naruto might come home from training earlier._ She was snapped out of her thoughts when she heard the noise of someone joining the chat channel. Hinata feared for the worst, but gave a sigh of relief when she read who logged on.

_-hokages_heir- has joined the chat._

**hokages_heir:** hey all, what's new?

**Cherry_Blossom: **What do you want Konohamaru?

**flower_power:** you know this chat is for genin!

**hokages_heir:** whatever, I'm going to be the next Hokage so I can do what I want!

**Top_Dog:** AH that reminds me, I have another story to tell about him.

**Cherry_Blossom:** Is it a good one? Cause the last one was kind of lame.

**flower_power:** yeah enough of the dog peeing stories, even if it deals with that baka

**10-10-220:** yeah I'd rather not go through one of those again

**Top_Dog: **no this one is about when he tried to transform into the Hokage for a class test

**Cherry_Blossom:** Oh, I think I remember this one.

**flower_power: **spit it out, I don't remember!

**10-10-220:** srsly, tell what happened!

**Top_Dog: **he was in front of class and Iruka-sensei told him to transform into the Hokage, so he did but when the cloud of smoke came up, the face was completely messed up and the class burst out laughing at him!

Naruto's eyes opened wide as he started to recognize the story. _Are they talking about me?_ Naruto began to think about the same event that happened roughly a year ago trying to match it with the claim that Top Dog had made.

**hokages_heir:** that's insulting my grandpa!

**Cherry_Blossom:** Go away Kono.

**flower_power: **just ignore him, but I can't believe he messed that up!

**10-10-220: **that's great!

**Cherry_Blossom:** That's not all, Iruka-sensei yelled at him for a couple minutes, then afterwards he told him to do it again, he transformed again but the face was still messed up!

**10-10-220:** how can you mess up the Hokage's face?!

**flower_power: **you mean he can't transform correctly??

**hokages_heir:** who are we making fun of?

**Top_Dog: **not one bit! the whole class was in stitches. can you believe it? he was in the academy for three years and he couldn't transform properly!

_It is me._ Naruto tilted his head down to stare at the floor. His fists tightened as he remembered that day perfectly. The blond had tried to make a perfect transformation but he could never get the face right. No matter how hard he tried, it would always be messed up. He could remember the laughter of his classmates so well, it hurt just to think about it.

**hokages_heir: **heeelllooo?

**10-10-220: **rotflol, it doesn't get any better than that

**hokages_heir:** stop ignoring me!

**Cherry_Blossom:** After that, he went on one of his little rants about becoming Hokage.

**flower_power:** I can't believe I missed that! It would have been awesome to see, but man is he annoying

**hokages_heir: **who's annoying?

**Top_Dog: **you, but not as annoying as me right?

**Cherry_Blossom: **You're a close second.

**Top_Dog:** aww

* * *

"Man, they are really ripping into this guy," Konohamaru stated completely oblivious to Naruto's emotions. The boy began to type again but was interrupted by Naruto. "Hey wait, put me down!"

Naruto was holding the boy by the back of his shirt. "Sorry but you can't see this, it's the genin chat after all." He made his way out of his room towards the front door with Konohamaru kicking along the way.

"Wait, what are you doing?" The boy paused for a second until he saw Naruto reach for the door handle. "Don't throw me out, the rain is pouring out there! Not to mention that Moegi is still after me!"

"Sorry, I've got other things I need to worry about at the moment." After opening the door, he tossed Konohamaru out into the rain. He quickly shut the door before the boy could make it back in.

Konohamaru's tiny fists slammed against the door a couple times. "C'mon, this isn't fair! I didn't break the computer!" Naruto turned around and ignored the pounds on the door as he made his way into the bedroom. The slamming stopped after a few seconds and another voice could be heard.

"Ha, I knew you would be here Konohamaru!" A little girl's voice was heard behind the door, Naruto safely assumed it was Moegi.

"Oh kami, RUN!" The boy shouted as he darted down the walk way. All Naruto could hear was the loud sound of footsteps along with muffled shouts.

The blond chuckled to himself, "At least I'm not the only one with girl problems." Naruto did feel sorry for tossing Konohamaru out like that, but there were more important things that had to be done. Making his way back into his room, he closed the door so there wouldn't be any other interruptions. He wiggled around on the chair, attempting to find a comfortable position, but failed.

His eyes skimmed over the chat to see what he missed in the short time span. _Is this what they all really think about me?_ He finally made it to the end of the chat and looked over the current subject. A puzzled look came over his face. The person named Cherry Blossom had started her rant about Naruto.

* * *

**Cherry_Blossom: **He was pathetic! All he did was attack Kakashi-sensei head on instead of using what we learned in the academy.

_Attack Kakashi-sensei? How does she know that? I've only done that in training._

**Top_Dog: **what an idiot

**10-10-220:** everyone knows you should plan a sneak attack first

**flower_power: **such a baka

**Cherry_Blossom:** Then he was caught in an obvious trap that our teacher set up, and he tried to steal some food half-way through the test because he couldn't get the bells himself.

_The bell exercise? How could she know about that…unless._

**Top_Dog:** man I hope I get to fight him in the Chunin exam, he sounds like such a push over.

**Cherry_Blossom:** Oh, I'm not done yet. You should have seen him cower in front of one of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist on our trip to the Land of Waves.

_You'd tremble too if you had that giant sword swung at you._

**flower_power: **I remember you telling me that. Something like he was shaking in his own sandals

**Cherry_Blossom:** Exactly, not to mention he tried to have a competition with Sasuke with everything they did.

**flower_power:** the nerve!

_The teme deserved it._

**Top_Dog:** I still don't get what you girls see in him

**10-10-220:** me either

**flower_power:** he's kami on earth! enough said :O

**Top_Dog:** w/e

**Cherry_Blossom:** And he practically got Sasuke killed in the fight with Haku.

**flower_power:** no way, I'm gonna punch his lights out when I see him again

_If she knows who Haku is, then it defiantly must be her_. Naruto's heart began to sink as reality set in. He didn't want to believe it was her but all the signs were pointing in that direction. He had to know the truth. His fingers began to type the question that he hoped she wouldn't answer.

**hokages_heir: **Sakura?

**Cherry_Blossom:** What the hell do you want?

He could tell by the way she typed that it was her.

**hokages_heir:** nothing…

**Cherry_Blossom:** Good, does anyone have any other stories to tell?

Naruto couldn't take it anymore and slammed his fist on the desk. It hurt him to hear what others thought of him behind his back. He had spent his whole life trying to be acknowledged by the people he thought were his friends and yet they were so quick to turn on him when he wasn't around.

He moved the mouse over the exit button but cringed after hearing another chime from someone's entry. His eyes glanced over to see what the person typed, hoping that it wouldn't cause him anymore pain then he was already in.

**Unknown_Heiress:** You people are horrible!

Hinata had finally gained the courage to type even though her hands trembled with every keystroke. Her mind had raced through many possibilities until it came to one conclusion. "Change for Naruto," she muttered. If she truly wanted to change, then she would have to make some sort of stand, especially if it was to defend Naruto.

**Top_Dog:** woah when did you get here?

**10-10-220:** she's been here the whole time you idiot.

Her mind didn't like where this was going, but her heart pressed on. "You can do this, you can do this." She chanted to motivate herself. It was defiantly easier for Hinata to type her thoughts out instead of confronting her friends directly.

**Unknown_Heiress:** All you ever do is point out the mistakes he makes, can't you see how much it hurts him when you all laugh at him!

**flower_power:** but his mistakes are hilarious

**Cherry_Blossom:** Exactly, and he's annoying.

**Unknown_Heiress: **Remember when the two of you dressed up and wore makeup in order to impress Sasuke?

Naruto couldn't believe it. Even after all the teasing and making fun of him behind his back, Unknown Heiress was there to fight for him. He hadn't even noticed that she was in the chat channel.

**Cherry_Blossom:** Don't bring that up.

**flower_power:** you promised you would never talk about that!

**10-10-220:** oh you better finish this story

**Top_Dog:** it was great, Iruka-sensei asked them if the circus was in town, the whole class roared with laughter, even Sasuke

**10-10-220: **rotfl

Hinata's hands were on a roll continuously typing remarks as they came. She had crossed the line with Sakura and Ino and she knew she would pay for it later, but defending Naruto was more important. _Change for me, _his words rung through her mind as she typed.

**Unknown_Heiress:** Don't think you're out of it yet Kiba-kun, remember when you first brought Akamaru to school?

**Top_Dog: **yeah about that…

**flower_power: **the poor thing ran through the whole school jumping on people and terrorizing the teachers, whoever thought a little dog could do so much damage.

**10-10-220:** hah that's great

**Unknown_Heiress: **I'm not going to even start with you 10 10.

**10-10-220:** phew

**Cherry_Blossom:** What's the point of this? If you're trying to make me like him, it's not working.

Hinata bit her bottom lip as she thought about what to put next. _Why can't they see him like I can? There has to be some way that I can get through to Sakura._

**Unknown_Heiress:** I'm not asking you to like him, I'm asking you to respect him. I'm sure if you took the time to consider his feelings, maybe you would be able to get along with him.

**Cherry_Blossom:** Sorry, not going to happen.

**Unknown_Heiress:** You're so stubborn! You're supposed to be his teammate and support him when he needs it!

**Cherry_Blossom:** Whatever, you seem like you are doing a good job at it. Besides, it's not like he is seeing this conversation anyways.

Naruto was in awe with everything that was happening in front of him. Watching the fight between Sakura and Unknown Heiress had brought so many different kinds of emotion into play. He had to escape somehow.

_-hokages_heir- has left the chat._

**flower_power:** Now that I think about it, how did Konohamaru know your name Sakura?

**Cherry_Blossom: **I don't know.

**Top_Dog:** well he is friends with Naruto

**flower_power:** you don't think he was …

**10-10-220:** omk, this is turning into a frickin soap opera

**Cherry_Blossom:** Oh shit.

* * *

At first, Hinata's hands were trembling because of all the typing she had done. She had a hard time controlling herself as she breathed with a quickened pace. It took every amount of courage she had along with Naruto's motivational words in order to stand up for what she believed.

But now, violet eyes were wide in shock and her hands were shaking uncontrollably. She took deep breaths to calm herself as her brain began to think about what Ino had said. "D-did he r-really hear everything t-they s-said," she started to stutter her thoughts out loud.

"Did he hear what?" Hinata snapped from her thoughts and turned around to meet the other voice. Hanabi was sitting on Hinata's bed staring at her with a curious look.

"N-nothing, I got to g-go s-somewhere," the older sister stuttered out. She got up from the desk and threw the moist pillow onto the bed. Forgetting to grab her jacket, she ran out the room.

"Wait Hinata, the rain is pouring outside!" Hinata was gone before she could hear her sister's words. With a sigh, Hanabi waltzed over to the computer. While thinking to herself, a smile came onto the little girl's face as she began to read what was on the computer screen. "Well she left the computer on, so it is fair game."

* * *

Naruto was feeling a mix of emotions right now. One of the best days in his life quickly turned out to be one of the worst. He knew that he wasn't everyone's favorite person, but now knowing that they talked about him like that behind his back was just nerve wracking.

Then there was Unknown Heiress. The girl that he had just met yesterday was fighting for his sake. It puzzled him why she would defend him when everyone else hated him even though she explained her reasons yesterday. The weird warm feeling that he had felt earlier that morning had come over him again. All the emotions at once were too much for the blond to handle.

He shut off his computer and walked out of his room. Once again, he tilted his head towards the ground but this time he brought his right arm to his face. He took one sniff through his nose and wiped away the tears that started to form. The attempt proved to be in vain as he could feel the next set of tears start to well up in his eyes. Not knowing where to go, he burst out of his apartment and slammed his door shut. He ran where ever his feet would carry him through the cold pouring rain.

* * *

A/N: Fixed minor details, and also added a poll in my profile about what you think of this story so far. Check it out.

Chapter 4 is a go. I tried to make Hinata as passively aggressive (lol?) as I could so sorry if she's a little OOC. Thanks for everyone's support so far. Reviews would be sweet they help improve the story!

Until next time,

-Bench


	5. Sunny Place's Sanctuary

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. Never have, never will.

A/N: Minor edits made.

* * *

Chapter 5: Sunny Place's Sanctuary

The rain never let up throughout the afternoon. Nothing could escape the downpour that started earlier that day. The rain had truly added sadness to everything it touched. Even the Hokage's Monument seemed to be drenched with sadness. The Fourth Hokage's Monument had lines of water running down its chiseled cheeks with no signs of stopping soon. The monument's stone eyes seemed to be gazing over the street that a current blond shinobi was running down.

Very few people were on the streets that afternoon while others stayed in shops waiting for the rain to let up. Naruto used this to his advantage as he ran full speed down the streets. He did not care where he was going, just as long as his feet would take him somewhere to get away. His feet splashed through the puddles as he sprinted, causing his pants to become soaked with water and mud. His blue sandals lost their grip at almost every turn, causing him to sometimes collide with other people or random objects.

_Why do I make them so angry? _He grinded his teeth as he stepped on a rock in the road. _Why can't they see me for who I am? _Naruto's feet slowly came to a stop when the name Unknown Heiress ran through his head. He stood there ignoring the throbbing pain in his left foot. _Why is she doing this all for me?_ The blond's eyes closed and he let out a small grunt due to his physical pain as he began to run again.

Naruto had been running for twenty minutes straight and was now starting to feel the fatigue in his legs. He turned the corner of the street and lost his footing immediately, collapsing to the ground. Several people walked by ignoring the heavily breathing boy; they knew who he was and they weren't going to mess with him. The orange shinobi winced at the pain once he rose up to stand. Looking ahead of him, he let out a chuckle. "The academy."

The blond walked over through the courtyard as if he was lost in thought. _It's been a long time since I have been to the academy. Too bad Iruka-sensei isn't here. He usually knows what to say._ He wandered a little more until he came across his favorite secluded spot in the yard, his swing. A small smile crossed his face as he proceeded to sit on the damp piece of wood.

Naruto's hands gripped the wet rope as he sat motionless on the swing. His normal glowing, spiky blond hair was matted down from the rain and no longer shining. The bright orange attire was now a dull orange and the bottom of his pants was a dark brown due to the mud he ran through. Even his whisker lines on his cheeks sank down. Naruto was truly a mess at the moment, both physically and mentally. He stared ahead with droopy eyes, lost in thought.

* * *

Hinata ran through the village as fast as she could. At first, she really didn't know why she had left the house. Her reflexes had caused her to sprint out of the house in order to get away from Hanabi's sudden intrusion. However, after running for several minutes, she soon realized what her real reason was for leaving was: she had to find Naruto.

Forgetting her jacket was one of the biggest mistakes she could have made that late afternoon. The training outfit that she had on provided little protection from the rain. It was now clinging to her skin and became very uncomfortable as she ran. She was quickly becoming soaked to the bone. Her hair had turned an even darker shade of raven blue and had started to lose its original shape.

She came to slow stop once noticed Naruto's favorite restaurant. _Maybe Naruto went inside here. _Hinata darted in the ramen and looked around frantically. She was out of luck; the only person in the store was the owner Teuchi. She gave a disappointed sigh but figured that her stop was for the best. It gave her the opportunity catch her breath and warm up from the cold rain as well as think of places Naruto might be. Her body started to shiver in an attempt to warm up.

"Can I…help you?" Teuchi peered over the counter with a curious look at Hinata.

The kunoichi snapped from her thoughts at the sound of the older man's voice. She had completely forgotten about him. "O-oh, I'm s-sorry. I-I just wanted to g-get out of the r-rain." The shock from the owner had caused her stutter to surface.

"Well then, use this towel to dry off. You're welcome to stay as long as you need," Teuchi said with a smile as he handed the girl a towel. After looking at her again, a curious expression came over the older man's face.

"A-arigato Teuchi-san." Hinata took the towel and wiped her face clean from the rain. She then proceeded to dry off her shirt until she was interrupted by the owner.

"I recognize you. You were here this morning with Naruto!" A smile came across the old man's face once he remembered the girl. Hinata only nodded and continued to dry herself some more. "I wonder what kind of trouble that boy has gotten into this time."

His comment caught her attention. "W-what do you m-mean by that?" She looked at the older man with an eyebrow raised. Her arms stopped drying as she waited for his response.

"Well, the boy ran by here not too long ago like he was being chased by someone," Teuchi replied. He pointed in the direction outside of the store. "He went that way, maybe towards the academy?"

Hinata's eyes opened wide, this was her chance. "A-arigato!" She tossed the towel at the owner and bolted out the door. _Of course, the academy. He has to be there._ Her feet ran as fast as they could not caring if there were any puddles in the way. She made several turns while sliding along the road until she could see the academy in the distance. Naruto's words rang through her mind as she sprinted down the final stretch. _If only I knew who she was, I'm sure that I could help her out._ A small tear mixed with rain as it crawled down her face. _He was willing to help me, now it's my turn to help him. _

Hinata made it through the gates of the academy that she once attended several months ago. She paused for a second to catch her breath. The rain caused Hinata's cloths to once again become soaked. She started to shiver as the cold cloths clung to her body. Her arms wrapped around each other in an attempt to keep warm.

If anyone saw her now, they would say she looked like a nervous wreck. The raven-haired girl was relieved that no one was watching her in this vulnerable state; however she had not realized that Naruto was watching her with a dazed and confused look on his face.

Naruto had gazed up from the ground he was staring at when he heard footsteps splashing through puddles come towards the academy. He had stopped crying a while ago, but the rain had replaced the tears on his face. The blond blinked a couple times to make sure he was seeing things right. Hinata was standing by the entrance trying to calm herself from the situation she was in. "Hinata?"

The kunoichi looked up frantically when she recognized the sound of the voice. A look a shock came upon her as she saw Naruto sitting on his usual swing. The cheerful blond she knew was replaced with one full of sadness and sorrow. Whiskered cheeks drooped down according to his sadness. His once bright and cheerful clothes were now dark and bland. Her heart cringed seeing him in this state.

Naruto wasn't sure why Hinata was there, but after staring at her for several seconds, he realized that something was wrong with her. His eyes became wide when he realized the situation she was in. "Hinata, where is your jacket? Can't you see that it's pouring like crazy out?"

Hinata winced a little at Naruto's scolding but she couldn't blame him. Anyone would be edgy if they had gone through what he had experienced earlier that afternoon. She looked at the ground trying to gather her courage to speak to him but by doing so, she failed to see him get up from the swing.

The blond walked with a little limp, cringing at every step on his left foot. Once he was only a few feet away from her, he cleared his throat to gain her attention. After realizing how lost in thought she was, he sighed and unzipped his jacket. Moving around behind her, he placed his orange jacket over her shoulders. "Here, this should keep you warm."

Hinata snapped from her thoughts at the touch of his jacket. She melted from the warmth it was giving off and a light smile followed by a blush came across her face. This feeling was short lived, as the kunoichi jerked from her position to look at Naruto. "B-but, b-but Naruto-kun! You'll g-get soaked without y-your jacket." Her voice had barely squeaked above a whisper.

Naruto chuckled at her. "Trust me Hinata, in your condition I'm the least of your worries." If only he knew how wrong that sentence was. "C'mon, let's get you out of this rain and someplace warm." He put his arm around her shoulder and started to pull her along.

There was an awkward silence between the two as they walked. Many of the villagers gave them mean looks as the past, they couldn't believe that someone was helping the cursed boy. Naruto ignored the glares, his only concern was to make it back to his apartment so the two could rest. However, Hinata grew more worried after each step they took. Not because of the villagers, but because of Naruto. She could feel him trying to hide his limp on his left foot. Her worry became obvious to Naruto when he slipped in a puddle, dragging Hinata with him. "Naruto-kun!"

Naruto grunted as he landed in the puddle. After wiping away the water from his face, he looked over at Hinata who was doing the same. "Sorry for dragging you down with me." Naruto was able to make it back to his feet with the help of Hinata. "Don't worry, we are almost at my apartment."

Hinata froze for a second. _Apartment?_ A blush crossed her face as she realized where she was going. "B-but I can't i-impose." A pull on her arm by Naruto got her moving again.

"What, would you rather go to Hyūga compound on the other side of the village?" Naruto gave her a joking smirk knowing she would say no. The girl shook her head. "Besides, we're here."

Hinata was too busy thinking about being inside Naruto's apartment to even realize that she was standing in front of it. Naruto fiddled with his keys until he found the right one and opened the door. He proceeded in and tossed his shoes aside while Hinata still stood in fear at the entrance. _I don't think I can do this, it's his apartment! _When Naruto saw that he wasn't being followed, he turned back around and reached out for Hinata, causing her to let out an "eep". The blond managed to grab a hold of her hand and dragged her off into his lair he called home.

"Just make yourself at home. I'll get some towels for us." Naruto walked off into another room leaving Hinata alone. The kunoichi was standing in the center of his living room with her arms crossed. She felt so out of place in his apartment. A sudden thought kicked in when she realized that his jacket was still draped over her. An impulse shot through her to take it off but she couldn't. The warmth that the jacket gave off was comforting to her, and she didn't want to lose it.

The feeling was short lived, as Naruto came back and pulled off the jacket off Hinata. A small audible moan came out of the girl when she lost her warmth. He was about to put a towel over her shoulders when he saw what she was wearing. A small blush came over his cheeks. He had never seen her without her jacket before. _I wonder why she hides her figure unlike Sakura and Ino._ "I-is something the m-matter?" Hinata's words brought him back to reality.

"Huh? Oh, it's um nothing," he gave a chuckle while scratching the back of his head. "Here, sit on the couch. It's more comfortable than standing." Naruto motioned over to the couch by the wall while Hinata followed and proceeded to sit down. The boy stared at her for several seconds, watching her fidget with her fingers. "Are you still cold by chance?"

Hinata turned to him and noticed his expression. Even though he was giving her one of his usual smiles, she could see past it and knew that something was wrong with him. It hurt her to know that he was hiding something. Avoiding his gaze, she nodded and faced towards the ground.

Naruto saw this and let his smile slowly sink. _She must not like being here._ _Wait I know how to make it better!_ "Say you don't happen to like ramen do you?" He tilted his head in curiosity while Hinata looked up at him confused. "Oh yeah, I forgot. You had ramen with me this morning, heh. I'll be right back." The blond dashed off into the kitchen.

The raven-haired girl waited until Naruto was out of sight before letting out a giggle. She began to dry parts of her shirt with the towel while she looked around the room. On the other side of the room was a desk with a picture of Naruto and the rest of team seven. She wandered over to the desk while drying her hair. A small smile came to her face when she noticed Naruto and Sasuke glaring at each other. Then there was Sakura, the one who hadn't wanted anything to do with Naruto. _How can she look so kind in the picture and still hate Naruto with a passion? _Her smile disappeared at the thought.

Hinata turned around and glanced over at another room. Curiosity got the best of her when she saw a bright orange metal underneath a desk. _That must be where his computer is._ She slowly walked over to the room and looked in. The kunoichi giggled at the little pathway cleared between the ramen and dirty clothes. A sudden voice startled her. "That's where I put the computer, you wanna see it? The ramen still needs to boil so we have some time."

Naruto walked in his room not waiting for an answer and cleared a spot on his bed for her to sit. He then took a seat in the computer chair and spun around in it three times. Hinata looked at him curiously, "W-what was that f-for?"

The blond spun his chair around to face the girl with a smile growing on his face. "Haven't you heard? If you spin your chair around three times before you turn on the computer, you will have good luck." Hinata shook her head as she took a seat on Naruto's bed. The girl's mind wandered as she thought about being on Naruto's bed, it was surprisingly comfortable. "Well good, because I just made that up. Hopefully it will give good luck though." Naruto let out a cheeky grin as he scratched the back of his head. With a quick motion, he spun the chair around and quickly pressed the power button for the computer.

Hinata blushed a little at his childish antics. She looked around the room as the computer began to load. _It's raining pretty hard outside, I guess I won't be going anywhere for awhile. _Her hands wandered over the boy's soft bed sheets. The blush grew deeper when she envisioned herself sleeping on top of the soft sheets. Violet eyes managed to notice the computer screen come to life with the picture of Konoha in the background. She was overtaken by the scenery, "It's beautiful."

"Thanks, although I can't take credit for it. My dad was the one who originally put it on in the first place and I don't have the heart to change it. Mainly because I don't know how, but that's a different story." He hadn't even bothered to turn around for his explanation. Instead, he focused on bringing up KIM.

Hinata watched him swiftly click with his mouse followed by the KIM login screen. Her heart sank after reading the last username that logged in. _Hokage_heir…it really was him._ She stared into her lap not paying attention to what Naruto was doing.

"Damn, she's not on." Hinata gasped as her head shot up at the remark. Naruto turned around after realizing that he startled her. "Sorry, I was just hoping to show you who Unknown Heiress is. Then again, you probably know who she is." Naruto had changed his tone at the end of the sentence hoping Hinata would reveal his mysterious chat friend's identity. The two sat there staring at each other for a while. Naruto was hoping for an answer from Hinata, but the girl was lost in the gaze of his azure looking eyes. She found comfort in his eyes and hoped that if she stalled long enough, eventually he would lose interest in their current conversation. Their staring contest was ended by a sound of a splash. "O crap, the water."

Naruto ran out of the room in an attempt to save the water. Hinata breathed a sigh of relief thanking the water for helping with her predicament. It was a topic that she hoped wouldn't come up again. The Hyūga walked out of the room to see what was going on with Naruto. The blond was frantically wiping up water that had boiled over. "D-do you need a-any help?" She mentally cursed her stutter.

"No, I'll be fine. Food will be read in a minute. Go ahead and sit on the couch…it's more comfy than the chairs out here." Naruto motioned her away and she complied. It only took a minute after she sat down before he came out with two bowls of hot ramen. He sat down to the right of her and gave her a bowl with chopsticks. "Careful, it's really hot." The blond broke his chopsticks and rubbed them together. "Itadakimasu."

Hinata watched him dive into his ramen cup. It amazed her how fast he could eat the noodles even though they were scalding hot. The raven-haired girl turned back to her own bowl and poked at the soup. She wasn't really hungry. There was something else that was bothering her. It was the whole reason she had searched for Naruto in the first place. Her violet eyes stared into the soup as if lost in thought. This act did not go unnoticed by Naruto.

The blond stopped eating for a second to speak his mind. "You ok Hinata?" He continued his eating but kept an eye on the girl next to him.

Hinata was mentally debating if she should bring up the topic that was on her mind. "Naruto-kun…" She continued to focus on the noodles in her soup in order to avoid his gaze. _There has to be some way I can help him. If I want to change for him, then I have to ask. _She let out a sigh and continued with her sentence. "…W-why were y-you outside in t-the rain?"

Naruto paused mid-slurp almost choking himself. He hadn't expected this topic to come up in their conversation. Quickly swallowing his unfinished bite, he turned to Hinata with an uneasy smile. "I…was just thinking about stuff, ya know?"

The heiress could see the sadness in his smile. "If…" She could tell that he was hurting; the only problem was getting him to open up to her. "…if y-you want, I-I could listen." Her voice was barely above a whisper.

The blond put down his chopsticks in his soup. He stared at the floor as he mentally debated with himself. _I guess it wouldn't hurt to tell her._ "Hinata…what would you do if you found out your friends hated you behind your back?"

Hinata's heart sank at the question. She knew it was coming but it still hurt to hear it from him. "I…" The girl wasn't certain how to respond to his question. Thoughts of her fight with Sakura began to trickle through her mind. _I'm not asking you to like him, I'm asking you to respect him. I'm sure if you took the time to consider his feelings, maybe you would be able to get along with him. _She exhaled in preparation for her answer. "… I would forgive them."

Naruto turned his head towards her in confusion. "Forgive them? How can you forgive someone if all they do is make fun of you and hate you behind your back? How are you supposed to forgive them?" He hissed out the words as his anger got the best of him. This wasn't the answer he was expecting.

His deep blue eyes locked with her violet ones, and Hinata could see that they were pleading for an answer to his questions. She turned away to stare at the soup again. _Please let me say this right._ "You s-should forgive them because y-you haven't done anything w-wrong. It's not your f-fault that they c-can't see you for w-who you really are. T-they are the blind ones. You aren't a bad p-person." She looked back at Naruto to see his reaction.

The blond was speechless. He hadn't been hit this hard in a conversation since he first met Unknown Heiress. The way she answered the question sparked another thought in his mind. He turned away not wanting to see her reaction. "Hinata, do you hate me like all the others? I mean, you're always so shy around me…" The tone in his voice had changed dramatically compared to his last words. It was as if he didn't want to hear the answer knowing that he would be rejected.

Hinata could feel the sadness in his voice. She cringed at the thought of hating Naruto. After taking a deep breath and letting it out, she shook her head. _Voice, please don't fail me now. _"No Naruto-kun, I don't." She watched Naruto put down his bowl of ramen on the floor. His shoulders started to shake a little and he brought up a hand to his face. Hinata tilted her head to the side to get a better view of the blond.

Little did she know, Naruto was overjoyed to hear her response. In one swift motion, he turned around and wrapped his arms around the kunoichi and dug his head into her shoulder. "Thank you Hinata, you have no idea how much that means to me!" He gave her a little squeeze and she let an "eep" escape from her lips. The boy had been lost in emotions that night, but with the help of Hinata he was able to find a sanctuary from all his problems.

A blush quickly developed on the Hinata, turning her several shades of red. The poor girl began to feel faintish due to Naruto being so close and almost lost her bowl of ramen. She started to hold her breath until the boy let go after another small squeeze. "Sorry, it just means a lot to me hearing you say that."

Hinata took a deep breath then smiled the best she could. "Y-you're welcome." Naruto had completely ignored her personal space, but she didn't care. She just wished the warming feeling he gave would never end. Naruto picked up his bowl and smiled back towards Hinata. She could tell that it truly was a happy smile_. I guess I should have some of the soup before it gets too cold. _The girl started to take several bites from her soup and Naruto copied her. The only noise heard for the next minute was slurps and bites from the two eating soup, mostly from Naruto. However, the blond's curiosity got the better of him so he decided to speak.

"So Hinata, what where you doing out in the rain anyways?" Naruto set his finished bowl on the ground and turned to Hinata waiting for an answer.

Violet eyes shot wide open. Hinata hadn't thought about how she would explain her reason for being at the academy. Her fingers began to fidget as she thought up of a lie. "I w-was uh…going to s-sit by my f-favorite tree." She looked towards her lap to avoid his stare.

Naruto raised an eyebrow. "You're lying." Hinata gave a little gasp as she turned towards the boy. The old Naruto was back. He gave a victorious smirk knowing he saw though her white lie. "Why would someone want to come out in the middle of a rainstorm and sit under a tree? Not to mention without a jacket." He put his left hand on top of Hinata's hand and gave her a playful stare.

"I-I…" Hinata was at a loss for words. _He doesn't believe it, this isn't good._ Her heart started to speed up and her blush started to creep back over her face. His hand on hers was definitely was not helping. There was only one option for her to escape everything. Hinata went limp and her body swayed for a couple seconds until it toppled over towards the boy. Her head rested perfectly on top of Naruto's left shoulder.

The blond was completely caught off guard. _She seemed fine a minute ago. Wonder what happened._ He shrugged his shoulder in an attempt to wake her but it was useless. After noticing no reaction from her, he chuckled to himself. _Poor girl must be tired, it must have been a long day for her._ Not wanting to disturb her, Naruto leaned back against the couch and looked up towards the ceiling. The pouring sound of rain could be heard above him. Eventually, he let his own body succumb to sleep.

* * *

Hinata's eyes started to flutter open at the sound of snores. The kunoichi's nose caught the scent of ramen hovering around her. She turned her head a little and saw the orange pants of a blond boy. Her head moved again towards the sound of a loud snore. Violet eyes shot wide open when she realized that she was using Naruto as a pillow. Hinata stood up from the couch in an instant and looked over at the boy. After giving a sigh of relief that she didn't wake him, she looked out the window. _It stopped raining. I guess I should be going._ The girl walked over to his table and began to write him a note.

_Dear Naruto, _

_I left to go home since the rain has stopped. _

_Thank you for letting me stay and making me some ramen. Please take this medicine as a repayment, it will help heal your leg._

_I'll talk with you later,_

_-Hyūga Hinata._

The Hyūga really wanted to put love in the letter, but she didn't want him to realize her feelings yet. That would have to come another day. Hinata placed the note where she had been resting earlier and dug in her pocket for a small bottle of ointment. She placed the bottle in his hand to make sure he would find it when he woke up. However, Naruto's subconscious self had other ideas. The blond's hand gripped the object out of reflex along with several of the girl's fingers. A blush crept across her face when she realized what the boy did. _He must not want me to leave. _

Hinata shook her arm several times to free her hands, but Naruto was persistent even while asleep. It wasn't until the tenth shake when Naruto let go of her hand. He proceeded to roll over on the spot where the heiress had sat several minutes ago and gave the cushion a good squeeze along with her note. Hinata let out a giggle at the blond's antics as she made her way towards the door. After opening the door, the girl smiled back towards the sleeping boy and stepped out. Once she was safely outside, she closed the door and took in a deep breath. It was still damp outside and dark out, but the street lights would guide her home.

The girl was half way down the street when she turned around to look at his apartment building. Her blush increased along her cheeks after she remembered everything that happened. _I guess going into his apartment wasn't that bad after all. I hope I was able to help him through his problems. _She turned back around and continued to walk toward her home with a smile on her face.

* * *

Chapter 5 is a go. Hope you found it enjoyable. A thank you for everyone who supported me with reviews and a special thanks to Blondi89 for helping me! Any kind of reviews to let me know how I'm doing would be great. If reviews aren't your cup of tea, there is a poll in my profile to let me know how I'm doing with the story, but you could always do both. :D

Until next time,

-Bench


	6. Confidence

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. Never have, never will.

A/N: Edited the author note at the bottom.

* * *

Chapter 6: Confidence

The forest was thick and dark. It was the perfect living conditions for whatever forsaken creatures decided to make it their home. Light barely made it through the treetops making it hard for any brave adventurer to see what was ahead of them. The forest stood true to its name, the Forest of Death. That didn't stop the determined group of shinobi who were currently making their way further into the forest.

"Man, I can't believe we found the other scroll so quickly. This test is a joke!" The brown haired boy exclaimed as he jumped through the air from branch to branch.

_He's getting worked up already. _The kunoichi thought as she hopped alongside the boy.

"You would do best to calm down. If any other teams were to hear your shouts, they might come after us for our scrolls." The taller shinobi scolded. He positioned his sunglasses to the top of his nose.

_Now they are going to start fighting again. _The girl let out a sigh and continued forward with her group.

"Don't get your panties in a bunch. The only other team we have to worry about is that sand group and they started at the other side of the forest. There's no way we'll meet up with them," the first boy retorted. He looked over towards the other boy following close behind him and let out a sigh. "You're slowing down Shino. Use one of my soldier pills so we can get to the tower faster."

_I wonder where Naruto-kun is. _Hinata began to look at her surroundings hoping to find a clue as to where the blond shinobi might be. _Maybe he made it to the tower already. _

"I would rather not use one of my teammate's trump cards just so we can hurry to the tower. We still have four days to make it there," the other boy repeated with no emotion. Silence followed for a minute as the trio jumped through the trees. "Have you or Akamaru picked up a scent yet for the tower?"

_Kiba is slowing down. I wonder if he found something. _The kunoichi started to slow down with her group.

"Yeah, like I'm supposed to know what a tower that I've never been to smells like. It's not like I take Akamaru for walks out here!" Kiba snapped back as he stopped on a branch. The other two group members landed on branches near him. "If I _had_ to say, we should head more south. I can smell some scents over there."

"Hinata, what can you see with your Byakugan?" Shino let out several bugs from under his arm sleeves.

"Hey, I'm the group leader here. I'll call the shots!" Kiba glared towards Shino, who seemed unphased. He turned his attention over to Hinata. "Hinata, what can you see with your Byakugan?"

"Would you pl—" Hinata made an attempt to calm her teammates down.

"Do you know why Kurenai-sensei made me the leader of this group? If we followed your directions then we would have met up with a giant spider that my bugs found." The bug shinobi interrupted as he readjusted his glasses. He could see Kiba's anger in his eyes.

_They're starting the leader quarrel again. _The girl let out a sigh. Suddenly, a loud crashing erupted in the distance. The shockwave of the noise shook the trees all around the group. Hinata braced herself as she started to form several hand seals. "_Byakugan!_"

"What the hell was that?" Kiba shouted while holding onto the tree branch. Shino swarmed his bugs around the group member's legs for additional support.

"I-it looks like a giant snake is attacking someone." Hinata watched the enormous, scaly snake chase after its prey. _That boy looks kind of familiar. _The spiky hair and jacket matched the description of a blond shinobi that she knew, however her Byakugan prevented her from seeing the actual colors of the boy.

The girl's eyes widened when she saw the figure create twenty clones of himself. _Is that Naruto? It looks like his fighting style and only he can make that many clones. _She began to shake at her thoughts.

The boy continued to fight off the huge reptile with his clones. Clones began to disperse left and right as the fight progressed. Eventually the snake cornered the last boy and managed to wrap him up in its tail. With one quick motion, it dived at the boy and swallowed him up whole.

Hinata gasped at the sight of the boy being devoured. Several tears began to trickle down her cheek. The boy she once knew was no more. Her reason for entering the exam was gone in a matter of seconds. The one she looked up to for inspiration was gone. She couldn't describe the emotions running through her even if she tried. _He…he's gone…_

The girl's knees gave out, causing her to collapse on the branch. Her legs refused to move at the calls from her teammates. With all her might, the girl closed her eyes in an attempt to stop the tears. She called out to the distance with everything she had. "NARUTO!"

* * *

Hinata sat up instantly from her bed in a cold sweat and threw her bed sheets on the floor. Her heart was beating fast and she was breathing heavily from the sudden shock. The girl had been having the same nightmare every night for the past week. First her teammates would fight over something meaningless and ignore her, then the boy she admired the most would be eaten by a giant snake. Now it was the day of the Chunin Exam and she had hardly been able to sleep a wink.

Hinata's nightmare seemed to be getting worse with each passing night, but that was the least of her fears. A younger sibling happened to be sitting at the computer chair waiting for Hinata to wake up for the morning. "Wow, you must really like that boy. I mean, you're calling out his name in your sleep."

The girl jerked her head in the direction of Hanabi's voice. Her eyes began to fill with worry once she realized her little sister had heard everything. "W-what are you d-doing in my room? G-get out!"

"C'mon, I haven't seen you for the last couple days because you've been training all this time! Can't I at least have some fun with you?" Hanabi began to pout while Hinata responded with a sigh. She was helpless against her little sister's puppy face.

"Fine, but only if you promise to leave me alone after this. Now what do you want?" Hinata hesitantly got out of her bed. She began to pick up the sheets that were on the floor while she waited for her little sister to answer.

A smile grew on the little girl. "Tell me about this boy Naruto. He must really be something if you're saying his name when you sleep and talk about him on the computer."

Hinata looked back at the girl. A blush formed on her face along with a worried expression. "Y-you read my computer chat?"

"Well you left it on. It was fair game." Hanabi shrugged her shoulders as she got off the chair. She walked slowly over to her older sister with a twinkle in her eye. "So c'mon, tell me about him!"

"W-well, I-I think h-he's—" Hinata was interrupted by a knock on the door. She held her breath once her eyes fixated on her cousin.

"Hinata-sama, Hiashi-sama would like to speak with you." Neji immediately left after telling his orders.

Hinata frowned at the words. Not because of the meeting with her father, but because of the way Neji had spoken to her. She could feel his hate for the main family coming from his words. _I wish there was a way I could help him. _She turned her attention back to Hanabi. "I g-guess I should be going."

Hanabi watched as her older sister walked to the door. The young girl called out to her one more time before she left. Hinata gave her a questionable look. "Be careful. I don't know what kind of boy Naruto is, but you know father hates him for some reason."

The older sister smiled back towards the little girl. "Arigato." She ventured out of her room towards her father's study.

The walk down the hallway seemed to take forever for Hinata. Her mind raced thinking of possible reasons for her father to summon her. _You know father hates him for some reason._ Hanabi's words rang through her mind. She never understood why the villagers and her father hated Naruto. The last thing she needed to hear from her father was some rule forbidding her to see the boy she admired the most.

Hinata made it to her father's study. She took one calming breath before she gave a quiet knock on the door.

"Enter," a voice on the other side commanded with an emotionless tone.

The girl opened the door and took a seat on the mat which was in the middle of the room. Her father was preoccupied with finding a book to notice the bow she had given him. "You wanted to see me father?"

"I have been informed that you will be participating in the Chunin Exam today, is that true?" Hiashi didn't even turn around to acknowledge her presence.

"Yes father." Hinata began to sulk. She could tell which way the conversation was going.

Hiashi turned around to face his daughter, giving her an intense stare. "As you know, the Hyūga clan is one of the most respectable clans in Konoha. Since you are going to be the only member of the main family entering it this year, you will have to be the one to represent the main family. I expect to hear a positive result from your performance. Is that clear?"

Hinata's breathing started to quicken and her hands began to shake. The stare from her father had no concern for her feelings at all. It was the same kind of stare that he gave when he was upset with something, usually when Hinata made a mistake. The stare caused fear to run through her mind as she thought about what might happen if she failed. "Y-yes f-father."

Hiashi narrowed his glare. He hated how his own daughter could have such a simple weakness as a stutter. The older man redirected his attention back to his book searching. "Then you are free to go. Your teammate with the disgusting canine came by earlier, apparently you have a meeting in an hour at the 32 training ground."

The girl quickly bowed and left the room. With her back against the wall, she sunk down to sit on the floor. Hinata let out a sigh as she began to think about the events that had happened that morning. _First the dream, then Hanabi. Neji still hates me and now my father is putting extra pressure on me. It's not even noon yet. Hopefully this day will get better.

* * *

_

"Man, where is she?" Kiba was getting anxious to start the team meeting.

"She will be here soon, because Hinata is not the type to keep her teammates waiting," Shino remarked at the other boy's comment.

"Hey! Would you quit bringing up the time I lost Akamaru. It was a onetime thing!" Kiba's anger was starting to get the best of him.

"An owner should take better care of their companions. Otherwise they will desert you when you need them the most." The taller boy adjusted his glasses while letting several of his bugs fly out of his jacket.

"Ok you two, that's enough," Kurenai scolded her students as she positioned herself between them. The teacher pointed down the road at the girl running towards the group. "Hinata is almost here so we can start."

"Sorry I'm late," Hinata called out while waving to the group. She made it in time to hear Kiba make fun of her lateness even though it wasn't her fault. Kiba had told the guards the wrong training area but she didn't want to cause a scene by bringing it up.

"It's alright Hinata, don't worry about it," Kurenai assured. She cleared her throat before speaking again. "As you know, the Chunin Exam is today at three o'clock. In order to participate in the exam, you need your application so make sure you have them when you get to the school." She paused for a moment to let her students take in the information.

Kiba gave a big smirk. "Yep, I got my application right here!" The boy pulled out a piece of paper that had several bite marks along with drool stains. "I'm all ready for this exam, I can't wait!" Akamaru gave a happy bark to mimic his master.

"Settle down Kiba. There is also another condition in order to enter the exam." The students gave her a weird look except for Shino who readjusted his glasses. "In order to enter, each participant must be in a three person squad. What I'm trying to say is, all of you must enter or none of you can go."

"Sounds simple enough. I know I'm ready for it, how about you Shino?" Kiba gave a smirk already knowing the insect user's answer.

"I am ready to enter the exam." Shino replied. The group then turned to look at Hinata. The girl had been fidgeting with her fingers and looked lost in thought.

_It's the Chunin Exams, I don't think I'm ready for this. But if I say no, then what would have been the point of me filling out the application. Plus, I'd be letting my teammates down. _Hinata let out a sigh; she didn't know what to do.

"C'mon Hinata, don't wimp out on us now like you always do!" Kiba hissed at the girl while Akamaru followed with a small whimper of his own.

_Like I always do…that was a nice touch. I'm not even sure why I filled out that stupid application._ _I'm just a failure. _Suddenly, Naruto's voice began to ring through her head_. _

_**i_like_noodles:**__ do you always want to be referred to as a failure?_

_**Unknown_Heiress:**__ No._

_**i_like_noodles:**__ then you need to have the courage to change yourself._

_If Naruto has the courage to change himself, then I need to do the same. I can't let him down. _She looked up to meet her teammates with determined eyes. "I am ready to take the exam."

Kurenai smiled at her then turned her attention to the group. "Well that settles it then. Make sure you are at the school before three. This is a test you don't want to be late for. Good luck." She gave one wave goodbye before disappearing into a ball of smoke.

"Well, I'm going to take Akamaru for a walk while I wait. Catch ya later!" Kiba darted off out of the training grounds with Akamaru barking behind him. The two other group members watched as he ran off until Shino turned to Hinata.

"He told you the wrong training zone didn't he?" The girl responded with a nod. "I see, then I'll see you at the school." Shino walked out of the training grounds with a steady pace.

"I guess I should be going too," Hinata muttered to herself. She made her way out of the area deciding that it would be wise to get some food before the exam even though she wasn't that hungry.

* * *

Hinata wandered around the village market aimlessly nibbling on a cinnamon roll as she went. She still had time to kill before the exam started but she didn't know what to do. As she made her way down the street, her eyes managed to see a certain blond walking towards her. He had an annoyed look on his face because of the pink haired kunoichi following him. Hinata stood still as she waited for the two to come within hearing range.

"I said I was sorry Naruto, can't you at least say something to me?" Sakura was practically shouting at the top of her lungs.

"Why would I? You might just find another reason to hate me." Naruto kept marching forward with his arms crossed his chest.

"I already have tons of reasons! I don't need another one!" Sakura retorted.

"Are you done talking yet? You're starting to get on my nerv…" The blond's voice trailed off when his eyes caught sight of the Hyūga in front of him. A smile lit up on his face and he waved out to the girl. "Hey Hinata, what's up?"

Hinata jumped when she realized he called to her. She managed to stubble out a response. "U-um, n-nothing. W-what are you d-doing here?"

"Trying to get away from this annoyance, the whole forgive thing you suggested is pretty hard if you ask me." The boy pointed to the other girl behind him who was boiling with rage.

"I heard that you baka!" Sakura shouted. While trying to calm herself down, she walked over to Hinata and put an arm on her shoulder. "I need to talk with you…alone." She turned to Naruto and gave him a glare as she said the last word.

"Hey whatever you have to say to Hinata, you can say it in front of me." Naruto met Sakura with a glare of his own. He could have sworn a vain popped out of her forehead.

Sakura let out a snarl. "It's girl talk you baka." She hissed those words to Naruto as she hit him across his head. The pink haired kunoichi dragged the other girl off into a nearby ally. Once they were a safe enough distance from the boy, she turned to Hinata and let out a sigh. "This is all your fault."

"W-what do you m-mean?" Hinata was startled by the sudden claim. She looked over towards Naruto's direction only to find him preoccupied by something on the ground. Her eyes turned back to the other girl only to be met by a glare.

"I don't know what you told him, but now he's more annoying than ever!" Sakura kept her voice barely above a whisper to avoid unwanted attention by the blond. "He treats me like I'm nothing now. I, Haruno Sakura, like nothing!"

"I-isn't that what S-Sasuke-kun does to you?" Hinata questioned the other girl. She couldn't understand Sakura no matter how hard she tried.

"Don't change the subject! Sasuke-kun is one hundred times cooler then that baka over there," Sakura flailed her arms about as she continued on. "I know you talked with Naruto that night. The baka kept muttering something about trying to forgive me for everything I said and when I asked him what he meant, he said you gave him the idea."

Hinata's mind wandered back to the day of the chat incident. _It's not your fault that they can't see you for who you really are. They are the blind ones._ The kunoichi took those words to heart. She hated how people wouldn't take the time to see others for who they really are, especially the girl in front of her. She focused her attention back onto the pink haired girl who currently complaining about something.

"All I know is that baka used to try and ask me out all the time. Now all he does is brush me aside like I'm nothing! If I ask him something, he's completely rude to me. I can't even to get him to do what I want anymore. I mean, how low can a girl get when they can't even win over Naruto." Sakura looked over towards Naruto and then back to Hinata. "Look, all I know is it's your fault. Stop filling his head with stupid ideas. If this keeps up, I'll put a stop to it myself, ok?"

Hinata looked down at her fingers that were already fidgeting with the cinnamon roll. _I didn't mean for her to get so angry, but I had to help Naruto. I couldn't ignore him when he need help the most._ She looked up to see Sakura still glaring at her.

"I said…ok?" The pink haired kunoichi paused for a moment waiting for an answer. When there was no reaction from the other girl, she swatted the cinnamon roll out of Hinata's hand in a rage and gave a loud snort. "Dear kami, you're useless!" She stomped off towards the ally exit, pushing Naruto aside. "Out of my way baka."

Hinata looked down at the pastry on the ground. Her eyes started to water as she knelt on the ground. _I didn't mean for any of this. I just wanted to help him._ She was about to grab for the roll when a hand reached down for her.

"I can get you another one if you'd like, it's just a cinnamon roll." Hinata's eyes locked with his azure ones. All her troubles seemed to melt away as he stared at her. She hesitantly grabbed a hold of his hand and let herself be pulled up. The kunoichi quickly dried her eyes to stop the oncoming tears. She didn't want to look like a mess in front of Naruto. "Are you ok?"

"Y-yeah, I-I'll be fine. I-I just need t-time to think b-before the exam." Hinata adverted her eyes towards the roll on the ground. She couldn't help but wonder how everything had happened so quickly. A quick snap of his fingers caught her attention.

"I said I'd buy you a new one. Now if you want to find a place to think, I know the perfect spot." Naruto gave her a big smile hoping she would be willing to go with him. After a small nod from the girl, Naruto reached out for Hinata and grabbed her arm. It caused an "eep" to escape from her lips as the boy dragged her out of the ally.

They made their way down the street hand in hand. Hinata was blushing several colors of red from the torture she was undergoing while Naruto kept marching ahead not paying any attention. He never let go until they made it to the bakery shop. The boy purchased a couple of cinnamon rolls and the two took a seat on an empty bench. Hinata managed to conceal her blush as the boy set the roll on her lap.

"So you like this stuff, huh?" The blond eyed the roll curiously while scratching the back of his head.

"I d-do very much." She looked over at the boy who was mesmerized by the spiral of the roll as he spun it in a circle.

"Well, it can't kill me." Naruto took a bite. He played around with it in his mouth for a bit before he decided to swallow. His eyes began to beam and he took another bite of the roll. Not caring for the food in his mouth, he spoke again. "Thif isf hreally great! ... I mean, not as great as ramen, but it's still great!"

The girl gave a giggle at the blond's reaction. She was happy to see the excitement he got out of eating the food. Hinata picked up her own roll and began to nibble away at it. It wasn't until a few bites in that she started to remember the conversation Sakura had had with her. She gave a small sigh and turned towards Naruto. "N-Naruto-kun, did y-you do something to upset Sakura-san earlier?"

The boy paused before taking another bite to look at the girl. "Well, I tried your forgiving idea with her. But when I actually met up with her, I wasn't exactly sure on how to do that. So I did the next best thing… I ignored her. Then she started to act all 'why aren't you talking to me' which now that I think about it, she really is annoying." Naruto had added random hand gestures to help improve his story. He took another bite of his roll and started to continue. "I mean, all she does is go 'Sasuke save me!' or 'Naruto you baka!' which is followed usually by a punch to the head. Now that I think about it, I'm not sure why I used to like her." His voice had an uneasy tone to it.

Hinata gave him a small nod. She couldn't help but feel happy inside when she heard him say the last sentence. _Maybe he is starting to move on from her. Hopefully he won't get hurt by her anymore. I'm not sure if he could go through another betrayal again._ The girl decided to add a comment. "S-she must still b-be mad at me for trying to h-help you."

Naruto gave a shrug. "Yeah, once Sakura gets mad, it's hard to stop her…" A light bulb lit up in the boy's mind. He turned to the girl with a raised eyebrow. "Wait a second, why would she be mad at you?"

The kunoichi froze for a moment. She forgot that he didn't know that she was the one who defended him in the conversation over the chat. Hinata quickly stuttered out an excuse. "W-well it's just w-when Sakura-san talked with m-me earlier, she b-blamed me for the whole thing."

The blond crossed his arms and let a disgruntled look come across his face. "Wow, she blamed you for all that? Who does she think she is, blaming all her troubles on you like you're nothing? I should be the one being blamed, I asked you for help! She has no right!" Naruto started to raise his voice.

Hinata began to tear up in her eyes. His words reminded her of what everyone had seen her as this morning. _He's right; they all see me as nothing. Neji, father, my team, and Sakura, they all see me as nothing but a failure._ Her violet eyes burst into tears.

Naruto gave her a shocked look. _Oh man, how did this all happen?_ He had no clue what to do. The last time he tried to comfort Sakura while she cried resulted in a punch to the face. Slowly, he began to move his arm around the girl next to him. He let out a sigh of relief when she didn't jerk away after he put his arm on her shoulder. He began to slide her closer towards him. Naruto had only intended to have her lean against him for support, however Hinata took the invitation to a whole new level and began to cry on his shoulder.

They sat in that position for a while and managed to attract a lot of unwanted attention. Villagers started to give them dirty looks while Naruto responded by sticking his tongue out at them. The blond began to pat her on the back which seemed to bring the girl back to life. Hinata quickly sat up and started to dry her tears. "I-I-I'm so s-s-sorry. I r-ruined your j-jacket."

"Don't worry about this thing. We need to focus more on you right now. Would you care to tell me what's going on?" Naruto was looking at her intently.

Hinata could see the worry in his eyes. _I can't say it was nothing considering all the crying I just did._ After wiping some more of her tears away, she began to tell Naruto everything that had happened that morning. She left out the dream and part with Hanabi since that was a completely different issue. She also edited a little bit of her encounter with Sakura. He wouldn't have liked the 'how low can a girl get when they can't even win over Naruto' part. When she finished her story, the girl looked away not wanting to see Naruto's reaction.

The boy was shocked. He had no idea of how much stress the girl was under. She had kept her problems bottled up and hidden so they weren't a bother to anyone but herself. He started to feel guilty because he failed to realize the problems Hinata was going through while she had spent her time helping him. _There has to be some way to make this right. _The blond blinked a couple times to snap himself back into reality. Determined to make things better, Naruto stood up from the bench and held out a hand towards the girl. "C'mon, we don't have a lot of time before the exams."

Hinata looked at him for a second. She dried away another tear before questioning him. "W-what do you m-mean?"

"I have a place to show you, but we don't have a lot of time left. So let's go." Naruto didn't wait for a response, he immediately grabbed her hand and began to pull her out of the area. It wasn't until they were further down the road when the boy turned to Hinata. He saw the way her face was turning red and assumed it was because of his hand. "Oh sorry, I forgot you don't like to be touched. I'll pull on your coat instead. Promise me you will close your eyes, though. I want this to be a surprise."

The girl was relieved at first to be let out of Naruto's grasp. However, she looked at him curiously and managed to stammer out a "but" before she was interrupted.

"No buts! Either you close them or I do." Naruto gave her a smirk at the thought of him covering her eyes. He let out a little frown when she immediately shut her eyes after his proposition. The boy was a little curious as to what her reaction would be if he put his hands over her eyes. They continued their way forward, making several turns through the streets until they finally came to a stop. "Don't open your eyes yet, I'm just letting you know that we are going to climb some stairs for a minute."

"Stairs?" Hinata didn't have much time to respond since he was already pulling on her jacket again. The girl followed him without much choice. They traveled up stairs for several minutes, then through some tunnels. When they finally made it back outside, she could feel the sun's rays hitting her even though her eyes were closed. After taking several more steps, she started to feel the grass beneath her feet.

"Alright, open them." Naruto watched with a smile as the girl opened her eyes. She let out a gasp and covered her mouth with her hand. Naruto let out a chuckle at her reaction. "I know the background on my computer looks nice and all, but the real deal is even better." Naruto had pulled her through Konoha and brought her up to the top of the Hokage's Monument in order to have her look over the village.

Even though the sun wasn't setting like it was on the computer screen, the sight of the village was still breathtaking. Every building in Konoha could be seen, even the treetops of the forest could be seen for a couple miles. They could see the people as tiny dots making their way through the streets. The whole village looked so lively from the top of that mountain. Even with all the commotion of people throughout the village, the top of the monument still managed to remain quiet and peaceful. Perfect for doing whatever kinds of thinking a person would need.

"It's beautiful." Hinata was too mesmerized by the sight to even notice that she hadn't stuttered.

"I have to admit, I did kind of lie to you a little." Naruto watched Hinata as she gave him a confused look. "This is one of my favorite spots where I come to think about stuff. No one else knows about this spot, not even Iruka-sensei. That's why I like it here, everything is so peaceful. That's why I can't seem to change the background picture on my computer."

"It's alright. You have a wonderful thinking spot here." Hinata's voice was barely above a whisper but she managed to say it without her stutter. The two began to stare out towards the village. The boy let out a sigh and turned towards the girl.

"Do you still plan on entering the Chunin Exams?" Naruto looked at her intently. For some reason that he couldn't explain, he really wanted her to be there at the exam with him.

Hinata looked over at him and saw the comfort in his eyes. No matter what had happened earlier that day, there was no way she could back down now after seeing him go through all this trouble for her. "Yes, I do."

Naruto let a smile come over his face. "Then you're going to have to prove them all wrong. Just like I want to prove to everyone in this village that I'm not a failure, you're going to have to prove to everyone in this village that you aren't a nobody that can be pushed around! And we will use the Chunin Exams to prove it!" The boy began to pump his fists in the air at the excitement of his statement.

The girl chuckled at his antics. _He's right. I need to prove to everyone, that I can do this. I just hope I can really make it through this._ She gave a little sigh at her last thought. Naruto noticed her reaction and turned to her again.

"What's wrong? You still seem down." The blond looked at her intently awaiting her answer.

"I-it's just...I don't know if I-I can do do that." Hinata turned her head away to look over the village again. "I'm n-not strong like my teammates, I d-don't know if I can do this." Her eyes began to stare at the ground. It was hard for her to admit her faults, especially in front of Naruto.

The blond stood there thinking about how to cheer her up until dawned on him what to say. The boy walked over to her and he placed his hand on her shoulder. Hinata's head sprung up only to be met my his caring eyes and bright smile. "Just have confidence in yourself. Have the confidence to take whatever comes your way head on."

A small smile came across her face. He always knew what to say to cheer her up. Every doubt she had of herself that morning had been washed away because of him. "Confidence...I l-like that w-word. Arigato Naruto-kun."

"We should probably head down now. The exam will start in about thirty minutes. But I'll promise you this. When the exams are over, I'll show you what a true sunset looks like up here." Naruto gave a big smile and a thumbs up at his promise. The blond then motioned for her to follow him.

Hinata nodded her head at his promise. Nothing could get rid of the smile she had on her face right now. _Your words mean more to me than you know Naruto-kun._ She followed him and the two traveled back down into Konoha.

* * *

Naruto and Hinata made their way down the hallway of the school. The entrance to the room for the Chunin Exam could be seen at the very end along with several people waiting outside of the door. As the two neared their destination, the figures became easily identifiable as their teammates.

"Man, it's about time you showed up Hinata! I was getting worried that you might have bailed on us." Kiba and Shino had been waiting anxiously at the door for their third member to show up.

"I-I'm sorry, s-som—" Hinata tried to reply but was cut off by the blond next to her.

"Hey, lay off of her. She's got enough to worry about without you bugging her." The blond and the canine shinobi began to glare at each other while Shino adjusted his glasses at the comment.

"I should take you down right now, Naruto." Kiba began to crack his knuckles while Akamaru gave a defensive bark.

"Bring it, dog boy!" Naruto repeated the other boy's actions, however, he was interrupted by his male teammate.

"Forget it dobe, ignore them and get in the room." Sasuke shot a glare at Naruto before entering into the class room.

"Sasuke-kun is right Naruto. Hurry up and get inside you baka," Sakura commented with a loud sigh. She shot Hinata a glare before she followed Sasuke into the class room.

"I'll just take you out in the exam, Naruto. Better watch your back." The two male members of team eight made their way inside the room.

"I'm sorry N-Naruto-kun." Hinata looked towards Naruto to see how he had taken the threat from Kiba.

"I'm used to it by now. And don't worry about Sakura, I'll keep her away from you." The blond gave her a big smile. He made his way over to the door and pulled it open for the girl. His hand motioned for her to enter. "After you."

* * *

Chapter 6 is a go! Hope you enjoyed the chapter. I would have had this chapter out sooner but after I read the recent manga chapter, I kind of lost some inspiration to write. Sakura is starting to scare me. -_-

Also on another note, if you're wondering when there is going to be more chat conversations between people, there will be one right after the first exam and then it will start back up after the prelims. I'm not having them bring laptops into the second part of the Chunin Exam so they can go:

**flower_power:** whats happening with you guys?

**Cherry_Blossom:** Naruto just got eaten by a giant snake.

**flower_power:** thank kami

Sorry, not happening.

Anyways, a thank you for everyone who supported me with reviews and through the poll. Once again, a special thanks to Blondi89 for helping me (yay)! Feel free to review and let me know how I'm doing. I love to read them and they help me write better (at least I think so).

Until next time,

-Bench


	7. Thinking of Me

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. Never have, never will.

A/N: So I lied in my last author note. I forgot that the Genin didn't head to the second part of the exam after they completed the test. So I whipped up a chat conversation for them to have during the time period.

* * *

Chapter 7: Thinking of Me

Naruto's eyes widened once he entered the room. Teams from every hidden village across the continent had entered for the exam. His jaw dropped after he lost count somewhere after seventy people, and that was only the left half of the room. He tried to form a sentence but nothing would come out.

"I-is something w-wrong Naruto-kun?" Hinata looked at the blond who had a dumbfounded expression on his face.

The boy turned to her with a sheepish smile on his face while scratching the back of his head. "Oh, it's nothing. I just wasn't excepting this many people." He looked back into the crowd and gave a smirk.

"There are 51 teams here, meaning 153 applicants." The two turned their heads to meet the unknown voice. A boy with pineapple shape hair was leaning against a wall with his eyes closed. The newcomer opened his eyes and gave a smirk while he walked over towards the small group. "Think you can handle it Naruto?"

"Of course I can, Shikamaru. I'm Uzumaki Naruto, I'll take on anything!" Naruto gave the other boy a bright smile as he started to shake with excitement. _Alright Naruto, this is your time to shine. Show them whose boss! _He spun around towards the crowd and pointed a finger at them. The boy was about to yell out to everyone when a hand flew in front of his face to stop him.

Shikamaru let out a sigh as the other boy raised an eyebrow at him. "Sorry Naruto. It may be troublesome, but you don't want to provoke these people. Do you remember what happened when you tried that in the academy?" The black haired boy dropped his hand once Naruto dropped his.

The blond began to plead with the other boy. "Oh c'mon, this is different!" After getting a clear no from Shikamaru, Naruto started to pout. "Fine you win, but I promise you that I will have at least one outburst by the end of this."

Hinata tried to suppress a giggle. She could remember the time in the academy when he shouted "Hey duck butt" to Sasuke. Almost every girl chased after him wanting to beat him into a pulp and he hid under Hinata's desk for safety. It was the first time that he had recognized her, even if it was for less than a minute. She always checked under her desk when she came to class hoping that he might be there again. The girl watched the two argue until an explosion of smoke came from the front of the room.

"Alright everyone listen up!" A voice called out through the smoke. As the gas began to clear, a man with a black trench coat and gray suit underneath appeared. The tall man wore his hitai-ite like a cap over his head. Behind him were twenty examiners also dressed in gray suits. "My name is Morino Ibiki. I'll be your examiner for the first part of your test. Now to start things off, turn in your applications. After that take a number tag and sit at that desk. Once everyone is seated, I'll hand out the written test."

Naruto took a gulp to clear his throat. _A written test? A written test? OH CRAP._ Sweat started to pour as teeth began to chatter. He was too stunned to realize everyone had started to turn in their applications or that the pink haired kunoichi that was currently yelling at him to stop fooling around.

The Hyūga heiress had followed Shikamaru to the line of people at the turn in area. She turned around in an attempt to talk with Naruto but noticed he wasn't there. Her eyes looked back to see him being scolded by Sakura. She could only assume the girl wasn't helping him with his test taking fears. A small frown formed on her face at the thought.

"Application please," the assistant examiner demanded as he tapped a pencil against the table.

Hinata jerked her head back towards the voices direction. She handed the paper to him in exchange for a number tag. _Number 54. _The girl walked around until she found her seat at the very right end of a table. To the right of her, across the aisle, was a boy from another village who was giving her an awkward smile. However, the seat to the left of her was empty. She let out a sigh. _I hope that the person next to me is someone I recognize._ Little did she know, her thoughts were about to be answered.

Naruto had finally been able to move after receiving a hit to his head from Sakura. He traded his application for a number tag and made his way out of the line. _53, what if there are that many questions on the test? What if there is a multiple choice question with 53 possible answers? I'm screwed!_ The blond walked around the room like a zombie trying to find his desk. When he was finally at his seat, he let his body drop onto the chair like a bag of bricks and proceeded to make a perfect face plant with the top of the table. The boy paid no attention to anyone around him, including the Hyūga girl sitting to his right.

The girl's violet eyes shot wide open. _Naruto is the person next to me?_ At first, she was worried that the sudden jolt from the table had been caused by Naruto, but now she started to take notice of his actions. _He must be really worried for this test._ She bit her bottom lip, mentally debating on how she could help the boy next to her. A sudden idea came to her mind. "N-Naruto-kun?"

The boy slowly turned his head to the side in the direction of the voice. He sat up instantly when he recognized the girl sitting next to him. "When did you get here Hinata?"

"J-just before you did." Hinata watched the boy nod his head in understanding then look back towards the front. Not wanting to lose his interest, she spoke again this time with a small blush. "J-just be confident N-Naruto-kun. You will b-be fine." She gave him a small smile when he turned to look at her again.

Naruto gave a quiet chuckle. _She's using my own advice against me. I need to stop acting like an idiot in front of her._ The blond gave her a smile to let her know he was alright. He tried to say something but was cut off by the instructor.

"Alright listen up. There are some rules you need to hear before you take this test. First, this is a deduction based test. Everyone starts with ten points and each question you get wrong causes you to lose a point. Second rule, the pass-fail decision is based on your team's total points." The head examiner paused to let the information sink in for everyone. He ignored the complaints and groans from several groups and decided to continue. Ibiki let a smirk grow on his face. "If an examiner determines that you are cheating, then you will lose two points. Also…if anyone on your team reaches zero points, the whole team fails,"

Naruto began to shiver. He could feel the killing intent from his two teammates behind him. The boy didn't dare look over his shoulder out of fear for his own health. _Oh man. If I fail, we all fail._ Fingers began to fidget with the pencil and legs tapped the ground aggressively.

Hinata could see him shaking in fear and tried to sympathize with him. She knew what it was like to let her teammates down, but this exam had far worse consequences then failing a D-rank mission. _He's still worrying. _She took a deep breath to calm herself but that still didn't stop a blush from coming. "L-let's do our b-best Naruto-kun."

The blond looked over at her again but this time he noticed something. It was her smile. Naruto had seen plenty of smiles like it from Sakura as she willingly gave them to an uncaring Sasuke. However, this time he was on the receiving end of one. Hinata's smile seemed to express her worry for him and at the same time, tell him everything would be alright. He couldn't explain why, but a warm feeling started to come over him like the time when he thought of Unknown Heiress. He tried to say something but was once again cut off by the instructor.

"The tenth and final question will be given forty five minutes into the test. The time period for the test is one hour." Ibiki paused to wait for the clock to hit three thirty. "Begin."

Pencils started writing like it was a matter of life and death. Every person seemed to be making some sort of scribbling noise or erasing sound except Naruto. The boy tried to read over the questions with high spirit, hoping to find one that he might have an answer to.

_A cipher, next question. Hey, one with a diagram._ Naruto spent the first five minutes of the test time trying to figure out how the diagram related to the question. _Man, this is hopeless._ He took a quick glance over at Hinata to see how she was doing.

The girl was tapping the tip of her pencil against the table. She had the first three questions answered already and was working on the fourth. Her violet orbs wandered over toward the boy to her left. _He hasn't figured out anything yet. I can't blame him though; he was never a good test taker at the academy and these questions are very hard. I'm not even sure if I'll be able to answer them all. _

Ten more minutes passed and Naruto was currently trying to figure out the answer for question six. _What the heck does this all mean? Aerodynamics, velocity of a shuriken, directional influence? This is all some high level math junk! How the heck am I going to solve this! _The boy ran his fingers through golden strands of hair while scratching his head. His legs began to twitch hoping it would jar his brain into finding a somewhat decent answer for an impossible question. Time began to fly and no luck seemed to be heading Naruto's way.

_There is no way anyone of us is going to know these answers. It's like they want us to… _Hinata had figured out the trick to the exam. She tilted her head forward a little bit so her bangs covered the sides of her face. After several hand seals done under the table, her Byakugan activated. The Hyūga was able to see everyone's paper in the room with ease. She began to write some answers down when she saw Naruto's paper. A look of worry came over her face. _He needs to realize that he has to cheat to pass the test._

_I need to cheat to pass this test! But how the hell am I supposed to do that? I can't just make a clone and go, "Look! A distraction!" And if I get caught, I'll lose points that I already don't have. _Naruto dug his fingers deeper into his hair as he looked over towards the clock. _Only eight more minutes until the tenth question. I guess I just have to hold out until then._ The blond held his breath and sunk lower into his chair, hoping the end would come soon.

Hinata completed the nine questions on the test with several minutes to spare before the final question. She was able to breathe a sigh of relief for a moment but turned her attention to the boy next to him. _Seven minutes before the last question and he still hasn't written anything yet. _Her violet eyes skimmed over her paper then back to the boy's. _All my answers are right, and if I get caught once, then I'll only lose two points or I could get dismissed from the test. But if I don't, Naruto might not make it through the exam and he'll be the one leaving. _After mentally debating with herself, she chose to make a stand. With her trademark faint voice, she quietly spoke his name. "N-Naruto-kun..."

Naruto jerked his head up a tiny bit as a response to his name. He turned his face slightly in her direction in order to not draw attention. "What are you doing? Do you wanna get caught?" the blond said with a whisper.

Her eyes looked away from him as a reaction from his scolding but she continued. "Y-you haven't put anything d-down on your test…" She took a gulp, hoping that her decision was right. "I-if you want, you could l-look at mine." The girl slid her paper a little bit underneath her arm at the suggestion.

A dumbfounded look came over the boy's face. _Is this girl crazy? She could be kicked out of here._ "You know what happens when someone gets caught. Why would you do that?"

Hinata had to think over his question. She thought he would have been glad at her proposition. While taking in a deep breath, her mind carefully thought about what to say to him. "Y-you said earlier that you wanted to p-prove to everyone that you weren't a failure. This e-exam is important to you, so you have to pass the f-first test to prove your point."

Naruto's eyes widened at her response. _She…was thinking of me?_ He bit his bottom lip in confusion about what to do. Pencil marks from assistant examiners seemed to amplify as he thought about her offer and they weren't sounding appealing to him. His eyes looked over at the clock then back to the worried Hyūga. With a defeated look on his face, he gave her his response. "Alright, I'll do it."

A smile grew on Hinata's face along with a slight blush. She gladly slid her test a little further under her arm for the boy to see. The blond took a glance towards her paper, hoping not to draw suspicion from anyone. As he started to read the first question, a kunai flew past his face startling him.

"What the?" the boy sitting behind Naruto shouted. The kunai had landed directly in the middle of his test.

"You were caught cheating five times," the assistant examiner who threw the kunai responded coldly. He glared at the standing boy while pointing towards the door. "Now take your teammates and leave."

Naruto kept his face looking forward despite all the commotion going on. He looked like he had seen a ghost. _That could have been me…or Hinata._ One by one, several teams began to leave the examining room as their numbers were called off. Chills kept coursing through his body as Naruto wondered if he would get caught. The blond glanced over towards the girl next to him and gave a defeated look. "I can't do it Hinata."

Hinata blinked a couple times to understand what he said. _But if he can't do it, then he won't pass the test._ The boy seemed to be reading her mind as he interrupted her before she could say anything.

"It's not that I don't want your help, it's just…" Naruto paused for a second. He was unsure of how to word his response. "Well, let's just say that I'm not on everyone's good side just yet except for you and Shikamaru. I'm not sure how I could go through this test if you had to leave because of me." He gave her the best smile he could hoping it wouldn't draw attention to himself. "Besides, this exam is important for you too."

The Hyūga heir gave a slight nod and looked back to her almost completed test. _He was thinking of me? _A red blush came over her at the thought. She then glanced over towards Naruto who was trying his hardest to figure out at least one question. _I hope you know what you're doing, Naruto-kun._

_Man, I have no clue what I'm doing! Hinata was about to give me the answers and I refused! I still can't believe that she was going to help me. She must really want me to pass. _He looked down at his paper towards the blank tenth question and tapped his pencil a couple of times. _I can't think about her right now. The last question will be out any minute and I'm going to have to bet everything on it. _

Ibiki stood up from his chair and made his way towards the center of the room. "It's time for the tenth question. But first I must explain this…hopeless rule."

Naruto dropped his pencil almost instantly. His blue eyes widened at the older man's words. _Hopeless rule? _

"You will choose if you wish to take the tenth question for this exam. If you choose not to take it, then your points will be reduced to zero resulting in failing not only you but your teammates as well." The head examiner paused a moment so the complaints of the genin could die down. "Also, if you choose to take the question and get it wrong…you won't be allowed to take the Chunin Exam ever again."

Naruto froze at his words. He was too lost in thought to care about whatever the other students were shouting towards the instructor. _If I choose to take this question and mess up, I'll be a Genin forever…I can't do that. But if I choose not to take it, then what would have been the point of my words for Unknown_Heiress and Hinata. I'd be a hypocrite and I couldn't live with that._ The jar of the table from the boy to his left brought him back to his senses.

The brown haired boy stood up with his hand raised. "I-I can't do it. I'm sorry team, but I just can't." The boy began to cry as he walked out of the room with his teammates.

_I don't know if I can go through with this. Kiba and Shino will hate me if I decide against taking the last question. And if I take the last question but fail…I don't even want to know what my father will say._ Hinata let her head sink down in a defeated manor. Facing Kiba and Shino would be easier than her father. She bit her lip as her left hand slowly began to ascend in the air.

Several other hands from other test takers began to raise high in the air. Most of them were followed by complaints or cries from the people who gave up, others just walked away in silence.

Naruto was shocked to see so many people leave at once. The group of test takers was almost cut in half. However, that wasn't what shocked him the most. Out of the corner of his eye, he started to see Hinata's slowly rising left hand. "Hinata, what are you doing?" he whispered to her.

The Hyūga girl jerked her hand down at the sound of his voice. "I-I-I'm s-s-sorry," she stuttered out a whispered apology to him. "I-I just d-don't know if I-I can do this." She looked at him and could see that his eyes were pleading for her to stay.

"Everything you worked for will be a waste if you leave right now. Do you want to prove to everyone you're a failure?" Naruto spoke with a soft voice. He could see her eyes darting back and forth. Her fingers even started to fidget with themselves subconsciously.

_I'm not getting through to her._ The blond slowly turned his head towards the instructor and closed his eyes. Without even realizing, his left hand began to shake as it rose on its own. His body already knew what to do.

Hinata let a gasp escape from her lips. _What is he doing? Did he not hear what he just said to me?_ "Naruto-kun, w-what are you doing?" The boy ignored her first call, so she tried again. "N-Naruto-kun?"

His hand stopped about half way and then continued to rise. "Just watch me," he whispered to her softly. The boy's face never budged nor his eyes never opened.

His answer wasn't good enough for her. Hinata tried again but this time her eyes started to water up and caused her voice to sound hoarse. "N-Naruto-kun…please." His hand finally reached as high as it could go even though it was still shaking from side to side. He turned his head to align with hers and slowly opened his eyes. Once again, Hinata could see the same comfort in his eyes that she had experience earlier that day on the Hokage Monument. His stare combined with his smile moved her. It made her feel strong like she could do anything, including pass the exam.

"Just watch me," Naruto whispered softly to her again. When he got a confirming nod from the girl, he turned his head back towards the examiner. This time, his eyes were filled with determination. With a swift motion, he slammed his hand down hard on the desk. "I'm not going to run away! Even if I become a Genin forever, I'll find a way to become Hokage no matter what!" The blond sat with his arms crossed while still staring at the examiner, daring him to make the next move.

"I'll tell you one more time. If you want to quit, now's your chance." Ibiki met the boy with a glare of his own. The two were locked in a silent battle with each other.

"I'm not scared and I won't go back on my word. That's my nindo." After repeating those words, Naruto turned to the Hyūga next to him. "And you're not going to give up either, are you?"

Hinata was shocked at the sudden question, but soon let her small smile overtake her. She nodded back to him. _If it's your nindo, then it's my nindo too. I won't run anymore._

Pleased with her answer, Naruto along with Hinata turned to face the instructor. They would be ready for anything he would throw at them.

_The kid's got guts, I'll give him that. Seventy eight students left, definitely more than I expected. _Ibiki looked around the room at his assistants. After getting confirming nods from them all of them, he looked out to the test takers. "For the first exam, everyone here passes!"

Several Genin stood up from their seats. "What about the tenth question?" they shouted, each with their own variations.

The grown man erupted with laughter. "Well that was the tenth question. Think of it this way, if you were on a mission with an unknown amount of enemies that had unknown weapons at their disposal along with the possibility of hidden traps set up, would you accept the mission? Just because you or your teammate's lives are in danger, doesn't mean you will always be able to refuse dangerous missions. You have to show your courage along with your teammates to make it through the bad situations. Those who would give up easily, like the ones who just left, don't deserve to be a Chunin."

Naruto turned to look over at Hinata again. "He's right you know. We can't give up just because things seem hard."

Hinata nodded in agreement with the boy. "I promise to try harder next time."

"Well then, this ends the first exam. I wish you all good luck with the next part," Ibiki said with a smile on his face. As soon as he finished his sentence, a ball covered in tarp broke through the window and flew into the room. A woman instantly jumped out of it and tossed two kunai at the ceiling to hang the tarp that said "The Second Examiner, Matarashi Anko is here."

The woman had dark purple hair tied in a spiky ponytail. She wore a brown trench coat that went down to her knees along with fishnet ninja gear and a tan mini skirt. Proudly stepping forward, the woman spoke. "Alright kids, listen up. Happy time is over and now it's time for the second exam! I'm the second examiner, Matarashi Anko, if you couldn't tell. Everyone follow me to the next exam…let's go!" She pumped her fist in the air in excitement. Unfortunately for her, no one else was.

Hinata let out a giggle as she whispered to Naruto, "She's kind of like you."

"What! I'm not like that crazy old lady!" the boy claimed to Hinata. However, Anko heard every word of his sentence. A kunai landed right in front of Naruto on his desk.

"You better watch it you little gaki." Anko looked around the room with a confused look on her face. "Seventy eight people? Ibiki, you're test was too soft!"

The former examiner stepped out from behind the tarp. "There are a lot of good students this year. You will have your hands full this time."

The woman let out a smirk. "Whatever, I'll fix that. Alright, listen up people. We will begin the second test tomorrow. Ask your Jounin teacher where to meet and what time. Everyone is dismissed!"

* * *

About an hour later, Naruto swung open his door to his apartment. "Man, those written tests can really take it out of you." He dragged his feet along through his house until he arrived at the kitchen. "Nothing a little ramen won't cure!" the boy said as he began to boil the water.

While he waited for the water, his eyes began to drift towards his bedroom. "I wonder where Unknown Heiress was today," he mumbled. The blond walked over towards his room and opened the door. His face began to sulk, "Of course, I left the computer on again."

The boy made his way back to the kitchen and fixed himself a hot bowl of ramen. With bowl in hand, he ventured back to his room and looked at the computer screen. "Five people on, let's see who they are!"

* * *

**fountain_of_youth:** His speech was so inspirational and full of youth! Not even you, 10 10, could deny that.

**10-10-220:** um, yeah I can

**Cherry_Blossom:** It was really annoying if you ask me.

**Unknown_Heiress:** I liked it.

**Cherry_Blossom:** Of course you would.

Hinata sighed at her words.

**fountain_of_youth:** Do not hate Hinata-san, Sakura-chan. She has a great taste for the power of youth just like Naruto-kun!

**Unknown_Heiress:** Thanks…I think.

_-i_like_noodles- has joined the chat._

**10-10-220:** speak of the devil

**fountain_of_youth: **Don't you mean Konoha's Handsome Green Devil?

**10-10-220:** no just stop, please

Naruto set his ramen bowl down on the floor and placed his hands on the keyboard. He was going to imitate Konohamaru and try typing in a different fashion.

**i_like_noodles:** hello everyone

**fountain_of_youth:** Naruto-kun, I must say! Your speech at the end of the first exam was very inspirational. I could see the youth flowing through you!

The almost instant reply caught him off guard.

**i_like_noodles:** um…ok

**fountain_of_youth:** You may not be able to see it yourself, but if you were to come on several daily training routines with Guy-Sensei and I, you would surely be able to see the power of youth!

No matter what Naruto typed, it always seemed like this person was one step ahead of him.

**i_like_noodles:** no thanks, but I have to ask. How can you type so fast?

**10-10-220:** you don't wanna know

**fountain_of_youth: **I start off my daily training with 500 keystrokes on left side of the keyboard, then 500 keystrokes on the right side of the keyboard. Then I practice 1000 repetitions of the old academy motto while only using my left hand, and then 1000 repetitions of the motto while only using my right hand. After that, I type the same sentence 2000 times. "The will of fire burns strong in me but the fountain of youth overflows inside me. Nothing can prevent the power of youth!" This ends up being 46,000 words in rapid succession.

He answered in the blink of an eye, but what shocked Naruto the most was how fast 10-10-220 had answered before the fountain_of_youth. _She sounds like she does this all the time._

**cloud_watcher: **Troublesome.

**i_like_noodles:** holy cow

**fountain_of_youth:** That's only the warm-up.

Naruto's mouth would have hit the floor if it could.

**i_like_noodles:** WHAT??

**fountain_of_youth: **I'm wearing arm weights also.

**10-10-220: **stop it!

**Cherry_Blossom:** I'm going to stop this conversation here for our own sake.

**fountain_of_youth:** But why Sakura-chan?

**10-10-220: **for our own safety Lee

**i_like_noodles: **So your name is Lee huh?

**10-10-220:** oh crap

**Cherry_Blossom:** 10 10!

Naruto hated how they were still trying to hide their identities from him. However, Lee didn't seem to care.

**fountain_of_youth: **Rock Lee is my name! Konoha's Handsome Green Devil!

**i_like_noodles:** huh, ok.

**fountain_of_youth:** I do want to tell you something, Naruto-kun.

This didn't sound promising, especially from him.

**i_like_noodles:** um ok?

**fountain_of_youth: **I heard from another source that you are trying to win over Sakura-chan's heart. Well, I just wanted to let you know that you will be having a rival for her from now on.

Naruto let out a sigh of relief.

**i_like_noodles: **that's it? well you can have her.

**Cherry_Blossom:** What the hell?

**fountain_of_youth: **In that case. Sakura-chan, would you please go out with me? *heart*

**Cherry_Blossom: **What?!?! Ewww no!

**fountain_of_youth: **Please! *heart* *heart*

Naruto couldn't stop laughing. It reminded him of how much he had tried for her affection in the past.

**Cherry_Blossom:** No! Now stop that!

**fountain_of_youth: **Please, Sakura-chan! *heart* *heart* *heart*

**Cherry_Blossom:** Ugh, that's it. I'm leaving.

_-Cherry_Blossom - has left the chat._

**fountain_of_youth:** I will train harder so that I will be more ready next time.

**i_like_noodles:** you're wasting your time. She's not worth it.

Hinata couldn't help but smile at those words.

**fountain_of_youth: **It matters not, for one day, youthfulness will prevail and the Handsome Devil will win the heart of the cherry blossom. But for now, I must leave to train with Guy-Sensei for tomorrow.

_-fountain_of_youth - has left the chat._

**10-10-220: **awkward

**i_like_noodles:** you're telling me.

**10-10-220:** whatever, I'm out. going to go sharpen my kunai set before tomorrow.

_-10-10-220 - has left the chat._

"Kunai huh? She must be into weapons. Now let's see, only two people left." A smirk crossed the blond's face. He knew what to say to Shikamaru.

**i_like_noodles:** so Shikamaru, guess what?

**cloud_watcher: **What?

**i_like_noodles:** I told you I would get one outburst out before the exam was over.

Hinata let out a giggle at his statement.

**cloud_watcher: **Yeah yeah, whatever.

**i_like_noodles:** now you owe me a bowl of ramen.

**cloud_watcher: **For what? We didn't make a bet and I bailed you out last time.

**i_like_noodles:** hmm, don't remember that.

**cloud_watcher: **You were having ramen with Hinata and you left suddenly, I had to cover your bill!

**i_like_noodles:** oh yeah. well either way, you still owe me.

**cloud_watcher: **Bah, troublesome. I'm going to sleep.

**i_like_noodles:** It's only 5:30!

**cloud_watcher: **I'll need it for tomorrow, good night.

_-cloud_watcher - has left the chat._

"I swear that kid goes to bed earlier every day, sooner or later he will just stop waking up." The boy looked at the chat to see who the last person left was. His famed smile grew on his face as he read his soon-to-be favorite two words, "Unknown Heiress."

**i_like_noodles: **and then there were two.

**Unknown_Heiress:** You wanted them gone?

**i_like_noodles:** only a little bit. so how are you?

**Unknown_Heiress: **I'm alright, just a little worn out from the exam.

**i_like_noodles:** I knew you were there! where were you sitting?

The thought hadn't crossed Hinata's mind. She wanted to say next to him, but that would expose her.

**Unknown_Heiress: **I was in the back of the room.

**i_like_noodles: **awww, lucky you. I was stuck in the front.

His words brought a curious thought to her mind.

**Unknown_Heiress: **You didn't like the seating arrangements?

**i_like_noodles:** well by being closer to the front means the examiner can keep a better watch over you.

Hinata could rest at ease, seeing as his comment had nothing to do with who he sat by.

**Unknown_Heiress: **That makes sense. I still heard your outburst towards the end.

**i_like_noodles: **pretty good huh?

The Hyūga figured that she could be honest with him.

**Unknown_Heiress:** It made me feel good.

**i_like_noodles: **really?

**Unknown_Heiress: **Well, I was unsure of what to do at that point with the tenth question. I guess I could say that you helped inspire me.

Naruto was overcome with joy. He was able to help out two people with his motivational outburst, or so he thought.

**i_like_noodles:** you don't say?

**Unknown_Heiress: **What do you mean?

**i_like_noodles:** well to be honest, I did it so I could help out this girl next to me.

Hinata couldn't help but let a blush leak out and decided to go along with him.

**Unknown_Heiress:** Really? You did all that to help her?

**i_like_noodles:** yeah of course! She's my friend and she needed help.

**Unknown_Heiress:** She must be very lucky to have a friend like you.

Her words hit Naruto a little too hard.

**i_like_noodles: **wait, are you saying we aren't friends?

The raven-haired girl's eyes widened at his comment. "Oh no, I didn't mean that," she mumbled out to no one.

**Unknown_Heiress:** That's not what I meant, I-I mean you two know each other on a more personal level.

The blond was relieved at her comment. He didn't know what he would do if she wasn't considered his friend.

**i_like_noodles:** I guess you're right, but I still consider you as a close friend. In fact, I still haven't thanked you.

**Unknown_Heiress: **For what?

**i_like_noodles:** well almost a week ago. I saw you defend me against Sakura and the others.

Hinata's heart began to sink at his words.

**Unknown_Heiress:** Oh…you saw that.

**i_like_noodles:** yeah, sadly. but what you did was amazing! you were practically dueling it out with Sakura and gave her a good uppercut to the chin.

His words were an invitation to ask her the one question she truly wanted to know.

**Unknown_Heiress: **So you're not a fan of Sakura anymore?

**i_like_noodles:** of course not. the whole chat room attack behind my back was the last straw.

Her mind was at ease knowing that she had mentally accepted his invitation.

**Unknown_Heiress: **I'm glad to hear that.

Naruto raised an eyebrow at her words. "Glad to hear it?"

**i_like_noodles:** you are? In what way?

Hinata gasped at his words. "In what way? What does he mean by that?" Her fingers began to type out her stutters.

**Unknown_Heiress: **Wwell, it's jjust, now yyou don't hhave to deal with her aanymore.

**i_like_noodles:** well she still is on my team, so I will have to see her again. don't worry about me though, I'll be fine.

Without even thinking, Hinata responded.

**Unknown_Heiress: **Well, I do sometimes.

This time, the boy raised his other eyebrow.

**i_like_noodles:** do you really?

**Unknown_Heiress: **I I I , uuuh, I ggot to ggo.

_-Unknown_Heiress - has left the chat._

_-I_like_noodles - has left the chat.

* * *

_

Hinata sat back in her chair, breathing at a fast pace. "I can't believe I just said that to him," her voice was slightly mumbled. She wasn't exactly sure why she had left the chat room, her reflexes must have caused her to almost instantly close down KIM. "I should apologize for leaving suddenly.

The Hyūga logged back onto the chat service only to see that no one was there. A frown took over her face. "He must have left after I did."

"Wonder why he left?" Hanabi poked her head over her sister's shoulder.

Hinata jerked her head to the side at the sound of her voice. "H-how long h-have you b-been here?"

"Long enough. You should send him a message explaining what you did." The younger sister gave a playful chuckle.

"G-get out o-of my room!" Hinata got up from her chair and started to lightly shove her sister out the door. Hanabi seemed to enjoy it as she let several giggles out.

"Fine I'll go, but if you don't send him a message, I will!" The little girl ran out of her room laughing.

Hinata looked outside of her door to make sure her sister was gone. Feeling relieved, she shut the door and made her way back to the computer. _She is right, I should explain to him._ The raven-haired girl let her fingers rest on the keys for a minute before she finally knew what to say.

* * *

"Well that was interesting. I must have spooked her a little bit, she even typed out a stutter." Naruto chuckled at the thought while he stretched out his arms and let out a giant yawn. He scratched the side of his head as he looked over towards his bed. "I think that I'm going to have to pull a Shikamaru and go to bed early. That test really did tire me out." The blond boy waddled over towards his bed and flopped on top of it. He quickly grabbed his pillow and snuggled tightly against it. As he laid there motionless, the images of his conversation with the Heiress ran through his mind.

_**i_like_noodles:**__ well she still is on my team, so I will have to see her again. don't worry about me though, I'll be fine._

_**Unknown_Heiress: **__Well, I do sometimes. _

_She was thinking of me. _Those were his last thoughts before he drifted off to a sound sleep. Unfortunately for him, he had fallen asleep so quickly that he missed the chime from his computer, notifying him that he received a new message.

* * *

Chapter 7 is a go. I hope that the first exam was interesting enough. I added some of my own flare to it so hopefully it didn't seem like you were watching the tv show again or at least an exact duplicate.

Like I said earlier, I forgot that they had the night off before the second exam so I quickly made a chat conversation to go with it. But now there wont be any chats until after the prelims, sorry for the misleading author's note last chapter.

A thanks to everyone who reviewed last chapter. I'm glad to see that this story is enjoyable for lots of people. Thanks for helping again Blondi89. Review if you would like. I enjoy reading them and it is great to know the opinions of others.

Until next time,

-Bench


	8. Second Exam Begins

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. Never have, never will.

* * *

Chapter 8: Second Exam Begins

Naruto kicked the stone pebble in front of him as he walked down the street. He ignored the stares from the random villagers that passed by. His hands were stuffed in his pockets as far as they could go and his eyes stayed glued to the ground as he continued walking in a steady pace. He kicked the rock again. The boy was lost in thought as he tried to figure out the message he had received earlier that morning.

_From: Unknown_Heiress_

_To: i_like_noodles_

_Dear Naruto-kun, _

_I'm sorry for leaving so abruptly last night. My father requested for me to train with him in preparation for the exam tomorrow. _

_About your question, I do worry sometimes. When I see the way the villagers and adults glare at you, it makes me wonder why they hate you, but it also makes me worry about how their hatred has affected you. I know you say that you want to become the Hokage and proving them wrong is your driving force, but I can't help but feel that somehow it also hurts you deep down inside. I know you're not that bad of a person and you don't deserve their hate. I just don't understand how being someone can justify why everyone in the village would despise you. I would be willing to listen if you want. _

_I'm sorry, I know it's a touchy subject for you so just ignore my comment. _

_See you tomorrow,_

_Unknown_Heiress_

The blond gave another kick to the rock. _How am I supposed to ignore that statement when it's completely true? _He looked up from the ground and managed to find several glares from the people around him. His head sank back down to the ground; he wasn't in the mood to deal with them. A sigh escaped his lips as he continued to walk forward through the street. He gave another kick to the already beaten rock, this time with more force so he hopefully wouldn't have to kick the pebble again. His wish came true.

"Ow, what the?" An older man with brown hair tied back into a spiky ponytail turned around after the rock landed on the back of his leg. He had a scar that started from one cheek and crossed over the bridge of his nose over to the other cheek. His eyes seemed to light up as he recognized the boy who was trailing behind him. "Hey Naruto, how is it going?"

Naruto continued to walk down the street unknowingly towards the figure now standing in his path. He was still lost in thought about the message he had received. It wasn't until he was about to run into his former teacher when he decided to look up. "Oh, hey Iruka-Sensei." His tone didn't sound energetic like it usually did.

Iruka raised an eyebrow at the boy's response. "Are you ok Naruto?" The blond haired boy simply shrugged his shoulders at the question. The teacher's expression turned from a questioning look into a caring one. He let his father-like personality take over him. "How about we discuss it over a bowl of ramen?" The man let out a chuckle as the blond nodded his head vigorously in agreement.

* * *

Teuchi bellowed out a laugh as he watched the two dive into their ramen. "It's good to see my two best customers enjoy themselves. If you need anything, don't hesitate to give me a call." The store owner walked to the back of the shop to continue on with his work.

The Chunin paused after taking a bite to look over at Naruto. He seemed to be enjoying himself, but the teacher could always tell something was bothering him even if the boy had a bright smile on his face. "So, care to share with me what you were thinking about?"

Naruto turned to Iruka with his smile still beaming. "I was just thinking about being in the second part of the Chunin Exam. The first part of it was a written test and a hard one at that. However, I managed to pull through using my skills as a ninja and completed the test with flying colors!" The boy went back to his ramen lunch trying to savor every bite of the soup.

Iruka knew he was lying. Not about passing the exam, even though he doubted it was with flying colors, but he knew that there was something else bothering the boy. His sheepish smile was a dead give away to the teacher. He tried again with a little more serious tone. "Naruto, what were you really thinking about earlier?"

The blond paused before he took another bite and thought about how to answer his teacher. _I guess he could help me. After all, he is older and probably has more experience with this kind of stuff. _He set down his chopstick full of noodles and looked over at the man next to him. "Iruka-Sensei, what would you do if you found out someone thought about you?"

The teacher gave him a questioning look. "That depends, in what way are they thinking of you? Is it a harmful thought or perhaps an annoying one? Is it a thought of jealously or a—" He tried listing off emotions that he thought the boy might feel but his voice was cut short.

"It's a caring one." Naruto was staring down at his soup. He missed the somewhat shocked expression on his teachers face as he poked the ramen noodles. "It's just when I found out that this girl was worried about me, I got this warm feeling like I was being appreciated. I'm not sure what to exactly call it, but I felt happy. What does it mean?" The blond looked at his teacher intently, desperately wanting to know the answer.

Iruka stared at his ex-student for quite a while. _He's found another person who cares for him and he seems to be growing up a little. But I didn't expect him to not know what a real friendship is like._ He couldn't help but let a friendly smile out towards Naruto. "It's something that you will have to figure out for yourself, Naruto. But promise me this, whoever that person may be, promise that you will do your best to protect them. Someone who causes you to feel that way must be a very important to you and your friendship with them shouldn't be taken lightly." His black eyes looked up towards the ceiling and he scratched the back of his head, trying to figure out a better definition for the boy. "I guess you could call it a true friendship."

Naruto blinked a couple times trying to comprehend what his former teacher was telling him. "True friendship huh?" After letting the words sink in, the blond let his old cheerful smile grow back on his face. "Thanks Iruka-Sensei, I needed that. And I'll keep your promise, you can count on that." He turned to eat some more of his soup but was interrupted by a hand roughing up his hair.

Iruka let out a chuckle while he messed with Naruto's hair. "I know you will." As he took his hand away, he watched the disgruntled blond take the last couple slurps of his soup. "So Naruto, where are you heading for the second part of the exam today?"

The boy pushed his soup away, signifying that he was done with it and turned to Iruka. "Kakashi-Sensei said it was at the forty fourth training ground this year. It sounds familiar but I can't quite remember where I heard it before. Speaking of which, I need to get going for that." He stood up and started to leave the shop until his teacher called out to him.

The Chunin did his best to hide his shocked expression by giving him a wave goodbye. "Be careful out there Naruto." _You're going to need it,_ he thought.

Naruto responded with his usual smile and added in a thumb up. "Don't worry, I'm Uzumaki Naruto! I can handle anything!" He continued out of the shop and started to jog lightly down the street. The blond was obviously in a better mood than before but he couldn't quite shake his teacher's words. _I promise to protect Hinata the best I can, but how am I supposed to protect Unknown Heiress if I don't know who she is?_ His jog turned into a run and then a sprint as he made his way towards the second exam area.

* * *

Naruto's encounter with Iruka had caused him to be a little late. As he arrived at the meeting area, he managed to pick up a piece of paper from his teammates. "What is this?" he mumbled as the examiner was still explaining several things.

"It's a consent form. The examiner claims that people are going to die in this part of the exam," Sasuke stated coldly. His eyes never left his own form.

"Die?" the blond asked with a worried tone. "What kind of test is this?"

"It's not called the Forest of Death for nothing, Dobe." The black haired boy gave a smirk to his male teammate. "Don't chicken out now. It's just a survival test."

Naruto's eyes widened at the other boy's response. He tried to make a remark but was interrupted by a flying kunai that grazed his cheek.

"Quiet down you little gaki. I'm only going to explain the rules once." Anko yelled towards the back of the group. After watching the two boys straighten up, she continued while holding two different colored scrolls. "Thirteen teams will start out with a Scroll of Heaven while thirteen will start with a Scroll of Earth. Your goal is to capture one of each scroll and make it to the tower within the time limit. Which brings me to some rules you need to know." The examiner gave a bored expression as she continued speech. "First, a team must have both scrolls and all three of its teammates in order to get into the castle. Second, you will fail if you lose a team member to either death or incapacitation. And most importantly, you're not allowed to look in the scrolls, period." She gave a big teethed grin towards the disgruntled test takers.

A hand rose up from the group. "How long of a time limit do we have?" Naruto didn't even have to turn around to recognize that the lazy tone of the boy's voice belonged to Shikamaru.

The examiner's grin seemed to get larger. "You will spend one hundred and twenty hours in here, or in simpler terms, five days." The groans and complaints were music to her ears. "Now, we will call you over when we are set up to give you the scrolls. In the mean time, go fill out your applications."

The participants broke apart into each of their own teams to discuss their upcoming plans for the test. Hinata, however, decided to stand underneath the shade of a nearby tree. The solitude helped her think about the upcoming test. _It's times like this where it's so easy to quit. I can't run away though, not after what he did._ She looked up towards the blond who was already signing his name at the bottom of his own paper. With a smile on her face, she pulled out her own pen and began to write. Little did she know, three other sets of eyes were focused on her from across the starting area.

"Is that the Hyūga we are after?" a tall man with pitch black eyes asked. He had a mask that covered his hair and every part of his face except his eyes.

"She looks too weak. Maybe we should go after the other Hyūga next to the boy in the ugly green spandex," another man who was almost identical to the one before him spoke. This man was a little bit shorter than the other and he had glasses over his eyes which showed his small black pupils.

"The Hyūga boy is part of the branch family. If we attempted to steal his eyes, then his branch seal would activate and destroy his eyes." The third member of the group adjusted his glasses along the bridge of his nose. After brushing away his silver hair that was hanging in front of his vision, he made a couple steps toward the Hyūga girl.

"Where are you going?" the taller man asked.

The man with no mask turned around and gave him a slyest smirk. His pony tailed hair flew in the direction of the wind that picked up. "I'm introducing myself."

Hinata was too busy signing her name at the bottom of the consent form to realize the man had walked up to her. When she looked up from her paper, she was happy at first to see the same blue sandals that Naruto usually wore whereever he went. However, her smile quickly faded away when she noticed that the person wasn't covered in an orange jumpsuit, but instead had deep violet pants and shirt on along with a Konoha hitai-ite. His black eyes petrified her when they locked. She took a quick gulp to clear her throat and attempted to say something, but no sound would come out.

Seeing that the girl wasn't about to talk to him, the silver haired man decided to speak, "You have beautiful eyes." He adjusted his glasses in order to get a better view of her light violet orbs. "My name is Kabuto. What's yours?"

She tried her best to vocalize at least one word, but all that came out were fragments. Her heart began to race as her breath quickened. _Kabuto? He has a leaf hitai-ite, but I've never seen him before. His eyes, I want to look away but I can't. I know I should say something, but I can't. Move body, move!_ Hinata's body continued to ignore her thoughts. She was truly struck with fear. It wasn't until she heard a shout from a certain blond that she managed to jerk her head away from his face.

"Hinata!" the boy called, waving one of his arms spastically. He quickly approached the two by the tree.

A disgruntled smirk came over Kabuto as he looked over in the direction of annoying blond. He turned to face the girl once again but put a smile on for her. "Hinata, that's a nice name." The man turned around and walked back to his teammates.

Naruto finally caught up to the heiress under the tree only to find her out of breath. "Are you ok? Who was that guy?" the boy watched the retreating figure over his shoulder.

"H-his name i-is Kabuto-san," she answered while still trying to catch her breath. When she managed to almost gain full control of herself, she looked up towards the blond and became instantly captivated by his caring expression. Her violet eyes looked over his tanned skin, cheeky smile, sun-kissed blond hair, deep-sea-blue-eyes, and the crimson red blood on his cheek. "B-b-blood?"

The blond boy looked at her curiously for a second and then realized she was staring at his cheek. He brought his hand up to feel the side of his face and flinched when he touched the cut on it. "Heh, the cut was deeper than I thought." He began to wipe the blood off his cheek when he noticed the girl fumbling around in her pack.

Hinata kept digging around until she found her little ointment bottle. With a quick twist of the cap, she popped off the lid and dabbed her finger in the liquid. "H-hold s-still, this w-will help." As if automatically reacting, she brought her ointment layered finger up to his left cheek. With quick grace and a gentle touch, she slid her finger across the cut.

Naruto was confused at first from the initial touch, but he never flinched once. The warm caring feeling that he had described to Iruka started to overtake him. He watched as her worried expression slowly turned into a light smile. _So this is a true friendship? I like it. _A bright smile quickly grew on his face as he waited for the girl put away her medical ointment. He saw a confused look come over her face. It wanted an explanation for his cheery mood and the boy would give it to her. "Your hands are soft."

A blush overtook the girl instantly. An "eep" tried to escape her lips but her hands muffled up the sound since they were covering her mouth. Her fingers tried to fidget the best they could while being in such an odd position. She tried to make a comment at the chuckling blond, but the head examiner had other plans.

"Alright, time to turn in your forms and take a scroll. When you're done with that, head to your teams' designated gates and I'll announce when we can start this thing!" Anko shouted the best she could so all the teams could hear here. A big toothy grin came over her face as she watched team by team turn in their applications.

Naruto turned back to the brightly blushing girl next to him. "I guess I have to go now. You take care ok?" He watched the girl give a simple nod and they both parted ways. The blond caught up to his team as they waited for him outside the turn in booth. Together, the group got a Scroll of Heaven and ventured over towards the twelfth gate. When no other groups were in sight, Sasuke spoke.

"Naruto, hand over the scroll," the black haired boy demanded.

The blond glared at him for a second. "Why? It's nice and safe inside my pack."

"Just give him the stupid scroll Naruto," Sakura decided to step in.

"I can handle it o—" Naruto's voice was cut off by the loud speaker on top of the gate.

"Listen up people! Everyone is at their starting position so instructors, please unlock the gates." Just as ordered, the assistant instructor unlocked the gate and held his hand on the frame of the gate. The speaker rang again. "Everyone! The second test of the Chunin Exam begins…now!" The assistant instructor swung open the door and watched as the team of three quickly entered the forest.

* * *

After nearly a half hour of jumping from branch to branch, Sasuke decided to stop the group in order to take a short break to figure out a game plan. He was still mad about Naruto holding the scroll.

"So, how do we plan on getting the other scroll?" asked Naruto when they came to a stop on the forest floor.

"Maybe if you wouldn't have darted off in the beginning we could have set up something," Sasuke retorted. He looked over in the presumed direction of the tower, completely missing the blond who was sticking his tongue out at him. "If we head towards the tower, then we can set up traps for other teams who might come. It will be easier to steal the other scroll if we have them come to us instead of searching."

"That sounds great Sasuke-kun!" Sakura exclaimed cheerfully. She turned towards the blond who had his arms crossed along with a disgruntled look on his face. "What's your problem?"

"I just don't like the whole, sitting around thing. We should be looking for other teams to take the scrolls instead of sitting on our butts doing nothing!" Naruto raised his voice in an obvious defiance towards the Uchiha.

"Look Dobe, if you have a better plan, I'm all ears—" Sasuke paused before finishing his sentence. There was a high pitch squeal of wind that rushed towards the group. Within a matter of seconds, the squeal turned into a full blown blast of air. The trio did their best to defend themselves against the oncoming force. With one quick motion, Sasuke whipped out his kunai from his pouch and dug it into the ground for additional support.

Just then, an explosion of wind roared passed the group. Tree branches began to fall around them while the dirt along the forest floor flew in their faces. Everything was a mess until the wind finally started to die down. Sasuke was the only one left standing after the explosion. When the dust settled, he looked around frantically for his other two teammates. The black-haired boy felt somewhat relieved when Sakura stumbled out of some bushes. "Are you hurt Sakura?"

"I'm fine Sasuke-kun, but where is Naruto?" The two looked at each other for a second until they followed the trail of dirt that the explosion of wind had left behind. It ran deep into the forest and didn't show any signs of a blond ninja anywhere.

"He won't be joining us for a while." The two shinobi turned around towards the direction of the new voice. A man was standing at the beginning of the trail left behind from the wind. He licked his lips with an extended tongue like a snake. "Hello Sasuke."

* * *

_Several minutes earlier:_

Team eight had been traveling for quite some time through the forest. They had managed to take out another team to complete their set of scrolls for the test. The forest was starting to get darker and thicker as they headed further in.

"Good job finding those leaches, Hinata. I thought it would take at least a day to find them for our trap," Kiba exclaimed while he tossed Akamaru a dog treat.

"Arigato, Kiba-kun," Hinata squeaked out as she jumped from her branch.

"You were lucky that the leaches after you missed, because it could have been fatal for the team," Shino commented from the back of the group.

"Still, I can't believe we found the other scroll so quickly. This test is a joke!" The brown haired boy exclaimed as he jumped through the air from branch to branch.

_He's getting worked up already. _The kunoichi thought as she hopped alongside the boy.

"You would do best to calm down. If any other teams were to hear your shouts, they might come after us for our scrolls." The taller shinobi scolded. He positioned his sunglasses to the top of his nose.

_Now they are going to start fighting again. _The girl let out a sigh and continued forward with her group. However, the jump from the branch seemed to jar another thought in her mind. _Wait, what did Shino say?_

"Don't get your panties in a bunch. The only other team we have to worry about is that sand group and they started at the other side of the forest. There's no way we'll meet up with them," the first boy retorted.

_It's all happening like in my dream, but then that means… No, maybe if I change the conversation, something else will happen._ Hoping to believe that she would be right, Hinata cleared her throat. "W-what's special about t-the sand team?"

"Akamaru smelled something funny about them yesterday. If it gave him a bad feeling, I don't trust them." Akamaru gave off a whimper to complement his master's words. Kiba continued to race forward when he looked over towards the other boy following close behind him and let out a sigh. "You're slowing down Shino. You should use one of my soldier pills so we can get to the tower faster."

_This isn't good. Maybe if I can remember where Naruto-kun is, there is a chance I could save him. _Hinata began to look at her surroundings hoping to find some kind of clue that reminded her of where the blond shinobi might be. _Please be safe Naruto-kun!_

"I would rather not use one of my teammate's trump cards just so we can hurry to the tower. We still have four days to make it there," the other boy repeated with no emotion. Silence followed for a minute as the trio jumped through the trees, but Shino began to notice the uneasiness from the girl next to him. "Is something wrong, Hinata?"

Hinata jerked her head towards the bug shinobi and tried her best to hide her worried look. "I-It's nothing, really. I-I'm just wondering w-when we will m-make it to the tower, that's all."

Shino accepted her answer still knowing something was on her mind. He decided to keep an eye on her just in case. After several more hops from branch to branch, he addressed the boy leaping in front of him. "Have you or Akamaru picked up a scent yet for the tower?"

_Oh no, Kiba is slowing down. We must be getting closer to that spot._ The kunoichi took a gulp to clear her throat as she started to slow down with her group.

"Yeah, like I'm supposed to know what a tower that I've never been to smells like. It's not like I take Akamaru for walks out here!" Kiba snapped back as he stopped on a branch. The other two group members landed on branches near him. "If I _had_ to say, we should head more south. I can smell some scents over there."

_South, that's it!_ Hinata activated her Byakugan with several hand seals in order to look get a better look in that direction. She let her Byakugan wear off when she saw a giant spider preparing itself to pounce on its prey. _That's not it. Where is the giant snake?_ Tears started to well up in her eyes as she grew more desperate to find Naruto.

"Hinata, what did you see with your Byakugan?" Shino let out several bugs from under his arm sleeves.

"Hey, I'm the group leader here. I'll call the shots!" Kiba glared towards Shino, who seemed unphased. He turned his attention over to Hinata, completely missing the internal struggle she was having. "Hinata, what did you see with your Byakugan?"

"Would y-you two p-pl—" Hinata made an attempt to calm her teammates down but she choked back on her tears.

"Do you know why Kurenai-sensei made me the leader of this group? If we followed your directions then we would have met up with a giant spider that my bugs found. Besides, you're upsetting Hinata," the bug shinobi interrupted as he readjusted his glasses. He could see Kiba's anger in his eyes.

_I can't stop it. Something is going to happen and I can't do anything._ The girl let her tears flow out. As if almost on cue, a loud crashing erupted in the distance. The shockwave of the noise shook the trees all around the group. Hinata braced herself the best she could. Her tears began to fly with the wind as she started to form several hand seals. "_Byakugan!_"

"What the hell is this?" Kiba shouted while holding onto the tree branch. Several of the girl's tears landed on his face. He looked up towards the girl in front of him in confusion. _She's crying? _Shino also took note of the girl's actions as he swarmed his bugs around the group member's legs for additional support.

Hinata sniffed, trying to clear her voice. "I-it looks like a g-giant snake is a-attacking someone." She watched the enormous, scaly snake chase after its prey. _It…it really is him... _The spiky hair and jacket matched the description of a blond shinobi that she knew all too well. Her Byakugan couldn't hide that fact from her.

The girl's eyes widened when she saw the figure create twenty clones of himself. _Why are you fighting it Naruto? You have to run! Otherwise you will be… _She began to shake at the thought.

The boy continued to fight off the huge reptile with his doppelgangers. Clones began to disperse left and right as the fight progressed. He was no match for the enormous snake. Every attack he made at the snake bounced off its hard scales. Eventually the snake cornered the last boy and managed to wrap him up in its tail. With one quick motion, it dived at the boy and swallowed him up whole.

Hinata gasped at the sight of the boy being devoured. _No…no! _Tears reemerged with full force as they began to rain down the side of her cheek. The boy she once knew was no more. Her reason for entering the exam was gone in a matter of seconds. The one she looked up to for inspiration was gone. Once again, she had experienced what it was like to lose him again. She couldn't help but blame herself for not being able to do anything. _He…he's gone…_

The girl's knees gave out, causing her to collapse on the branch. Her legs refused to move at the calls from her teammates. With all her might, the girl closed her eyes in an attempt to stop the tears. She called out to the distance with everything she had. "NARUTO!"

In one quick swoop, both her teammates jumped to her side and swung her arms around their necks. They jumped off the branch carrying Hinata slowly down towards the forest floor. When they made it to the bottom, the two male group members laid the girl up against the base of a tree. The two stood there for quite some time watching the Hyūga. All was silent except for the sobs coming from the heartbroken girl. Akamaru curled up by the girl, trying his best to comfort her.

Kiba watched the girl as intently as he could. Not wanting to sit around anymore, he decided to ask her. "Hinata, what's wrong?"

"She's been in distress since before the explosion." Shino adjusted his glasses while avoiding the glare from Kiba.

"You don't think I noticed that with all the crying!" The dog user raised his voice at the other standing member of the group.

"Would you two stop it!" Hinata shouted the best she could. It even caused Akamaru to become startled. She cleared her throat and started to continue. "We n-need to find that s-snake I saw."

"Why would you want to find that giant snake? Do you want to die here?" Kiba questioned the girl.

"I-It's just…" It was hard for her to find the right words and even harder to think about what she had seen. "Naruto-kun was e-eaten by the snake."

"You're still fawning over him? If you ask me, the snake did us a favor by eating that idiot." Kiba's words were harsh. He was exactly portraying what the villagers thought of the blond and it caused Hinata to start crying again. "Besides, we need to make it to the tower so we can finish this stupid test."

"That does not matter." Kiba and Hinata both looked over at the brown haired boy while trying to understand his logic. "If one of our teammates is in distress, then the whole team is in distress. Let's find that snake, and then we can head for the tower." Hinata wiped away her tears the best she could and nodded her head with a slight smile on her face. The two darted off in the direction of the mysterious snake, leaving Kiba behind.

The dog user let out a sigh and turned to look at his companion. "Come on Akamaru, let's go." He couldn't help but think that this could cause more trouble than it was worth.

Kiba eventually caught up with his group and they made their way towards the direction of the giant snake. They finally managed to find the place of where the snake had eaten Naruto. Kiba had wished to stop there but after several complaints from Hinata along with a few choice words said by Shino, the group followed the path made by the huge snake deeper into the forest. After roughly ten minutes of searching, the group found what they were looking for, only it was the carcass of the overgrown snake.

"What the hell could have done this?" Kiba questioned as he looked over the snake's body. The snake looked like it had been split in two by some kind of explosion.

Hinata wasted no time activating her Byakugan in order to search for the boy. She looked over the snake's lifeless body, making sure not to miss any detail. Her efforts were in vain until she noticed a small object underneath one of the scales of the snake. She made her way over and dug through the mess until she found what she was looking for. _A Scroll of Heavens? It must belong to Naruto-kun. _The girl quickly placed it in her pack.

"My bugs detect no sign of Naruto here," Shino exclaimed as his insects retreated back into the boy's sleeves.

"Hey, I think I got something. It smells like Naruto," Kiba shouted down from a higher perch while Akamaru barked in confirmation. The other two shinobi jumped up to meet him while the boy pointed off in another direction. "The scent continues that way…I'm guessing you still want to follow it?"

"Y-yes please," Hinata mumbled out. The boy nodded his head and motioned them to follow as he jumped along another branch in the direction of the scent. They continued to travel through the forest, passing plenty of broken branches as they went. _A battle must have happened here. Please be ok Naruto-kun. _

After traveling for quite a while, they managed to find a clearing in the forest which they all took to rest for a minute. Kiba's ears began to twitch when it started to pick up several sounds. Akamaru gave him a quiet bark. "You hear that too boy?" The other two group members turned around to look at the canine friend. "I hear something coming from under that tree over there." They started to head over by the tree when they were confronted by a pink haired kunoichi.

"Stay right there if you know what's good for you." Sakura was waiting at the base of the tree with her kunai drawn. It wasn't until she recognized the new intruders that she brought her kunai down. "Oh, it's just you guys."

"What do you mean, just you guys? You think we are some kind of pushover!" Kiba shouted back to her.

"Just leave, the baka lost the only scroll we had and both Sasuke-kun and Naruto are unconscious right now." Sakura walked back underneath the tree and resumed to tend to Sasuke. The tree was oddly shaped so the beginning of the roots was above ground. They seemed to provide an ample amount of shelter which Sakura had taken advantage of in order to hide her fellow teammates.

Team eight decided to follow the girl underneath the tree. When they made it past the roots, two boys became visible as they were lying on the ground. Hinata made her way over to the left half of the hideout where Naruto was. _Thank goodness, he's alive!_ She couldn't help but shed a tear of joy.

"What happened to you guys?" Kiba looked over the two boys who were on the ground. Sasuke had minor cuts here and but the color of his skin seemed to be worse than usual. Naruto was the opposite of the other boy. His clothes were tattered, several deep cuts were made all around his arms and legs, and not to mention, he smelled like snake guts.

"We were attacked by a man named Orochimaru. He beat us around for a little bit until he did something to Naruto which caused him to pass out. After that he…bit Sasuke-kun on the neck like a snake and just left. I managed to get Sasuke-kun here before he passed out and I've been trying to take care of him since." Sakura began to wrap up Sasuke-kun's left arm in bandages. She turned towards Kiba, "Would you mind finding some food? I want to try to get them to eat something."

"Um, sure. C'mon Akamaru, let's get some food." The dog gave several happy barks as the two ran out of the hiding place.

Hinata looked over Naruto again. She pulled out her ointment bottle and started rubbing some on his cuts and bruises. A blush crept over her when she thought about what he had said earlier that day. After covering most of his cuts with her special cream, she looked up over towards Sakura noticing two medical kits next to her. "Can I please use one of those kits for Naruto-kun?"

The pink haired girl responded without turning around. "No, they are for Sasuke-kun." She continued to wrap his arm.

Hinata had a dumbfounded look on her face. "But y-you only need one k-kit for one person."

"Sasuke-kun needs it more. His injuries are more serious." Sakura stated again even more intently than before in order to get her point across.

The raven haired girl looked over Naruto's injuries again and then at Sasuke's. The blond had taken a far worse beating than the onyx haired boy. "B-but—"

"I said no, ok?" Sakura stated coldly as she turned around to give the other girl a glare. Seeing the Hyuga make no attempt at a comeback, she quickly turned her attention back to the boy in front of her.

_It's not right, how can she do this to him?_ Hinata looked over the boy lying down in front of her. She could sense the pain he was going through both inside and out. His words started to course through her mind. _"Let's just say that I'm not on everyone's good side just yet except for you. I'm not sure how I could go through this test if you had to leave because of me."_ A tear ran down her face as she stood up and walked over to the pink haired girl.

The other girl stood up to meet Hinata with a head on glare. "Now what do you want?" Sakura exclaimed as she rested a hand on her hip.

_Naruto-kun was willing to stand up for me. Now it's my turn to stand up for him._ Hinata's eyes filled with determination. Her face was dead set on making sure the other girl would understand the pain she was causing to Naruto. With one forward motion of Hinata's right hand, it collided with Sakura's face creating a loud slap. It even caused Shino to flinch.

* * *

A/N: Chapter 8 is a go. A big thank you to everyone who reviewed last chapter! I'm glad to see that the first exam was enjoyable for lots of people.

A side note, I'll be starting college again next week so chapters might be updated a little slower than before. Sorry : \

A big thanks to Blondi89 again, she helped me out with several plot problems that I was having. Long story short, she helped make this story a couple chapters longer. :D Review if you want. I like to think they help me write better and it is great to know your opinions.

Until next time,

-Bench


	9. Found Someone to Save Him

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. Never have, never will.

A/N: Well I told you, long updates :( Anyways, I feel a little iffy about this chapter. I had a rough first week of college and I tried to type most of the chapter during that week. But I'll shut up and let you see what you think.

* * *

Chapter 9: Found Someone to Save Him

All was quiet. The sound from the slap silenced everything in the clearing. Birds had quickly flown away while the startled fish had darted off through the swampy waters. Even the slight wind that was blowing had died down.

Sakura hadn't moved an inch since the slap. She just continued to stare off in the direction her head had swung. Her green eyes were wide with shock; she had never seen Hinata do anything like this before. Although hesitant to move at first, her hand rose up to feel the spot of impact. She winced slightly as her fingers brushed against her cheek. It still burned with the dark-haired girl's anger. Quiet sniffs from across the room broke her concentration. The pink-haired kunoichi's head slowly crept towards the direction of the sound. She expected to see the other girl getting ready for a round two slap, but the Hyūga's actions completely caught her off guard. _She's…crying?_

Hinata's head hung towards the ground and her dark hair hid her distressed eyes. She kept her eye lids closed but nothing could stop her tears from overflowing. Her tears seemed to drip in rhythm with several sniffs. Frail arms dangled at her sides while her fists clenched in anger even though her right hand had started to throb with pain from the slap. Her shoulders began to shake as she tried her best to speak clearly. "What's wrong with you?"

Sakura's eyes grew larger at the other girl's statement. "What's wrong with me?" she said with a dumbfounded tone. Before she could continue, Hinata started up again.

"You're no better than all the villagers in Konoha. They all treat him like he's nothing. I bet half of them don't even know what his name is. He doesn't deserve any of it, especially since he hasn't done anything to wrong them in the first place. They just ridicule him without even understanding who he is. Why do you insist on continuing what they believe in?" Hinata became shakier as she said those words.

She knew there was a cycle of hate in Konoha for Naruto. Adults hated him, and then their hatred would pass down to their children which would then pass down to their children in a never ending cycle of hate. However Hinata believed differently. She believed that even though she was one person against many, there still had to be some way of stopping this unfair cycle. If it meant changing the viewpoints of another person to join her in breaking the cycle, then she was willing to try her best for Naruto's sake.

Sakura tried her best to stay calm, but she was worried about Hinata. She had never seen the Hyūga girl like this before. The way she talked while she kept her face hidden began to frighten Sakura the most. It worried the pink-haired girl so much that she began to stumble over her own words. "I-I'm n-not continuing anything. I-I don't even know what you're talking about."

"Even you, of all people, should know what kind of pain he is going through." Hinata brought an arm up to wipe away some tears before she continued. "You told me that when you were young, girls at the academy used to make fun of you for your big forehead. You felt lost because no one would take the chance to see the real you. It wasn't until Ino decided to be friends with you when gained the confidence to stand up against to everyone. Then the teasing finally stopped and you eventually started to become popular with everyone."

Sakura had no clue as to where she was going with this story, but it continued to worry her. She could easily recall how poorly the girls at the academny had treated her. She dreaded going to school every day because no one would talk to her and if they did, it was just to make fun of her and her large forehead. She knew the pain all too well and it was too much for her as a child. She choked back on her voice as she tried to speak. "Where are you going with this?"

Hinata still stood in the same position. She didn't have any control over her actions except for crying and she cried her heart out at that moment. "You don't understand it, do you?"

Sakura was struck with fear at the other girl's sudden change of emotion. She tried to back up to gain some distance between the Hyūga but failed when she realized that she would trip over the boy on the floor. "W-Where are you going with this?" her voice demanded for a better answer this time, and Hinata would give it to her.

"Don't you see it?" Hinata had finally reached her limit. There was no holding back for her. The dark-haired girl flung her head up to lock eyes with the other girl. Violet eyes leaked with tears as they begged for the girl to listen to her. Her tear-covered, puffy cheeks showed well the kind of emotions that were running through her mind. "You two are exactly the same! Naruto-kun is the exactly the same as you in your story and the whole village despises him. The only difference is that Naruto-kun hasn't found someone help him, to save him from everything. He knows exactly what kind of pain you had to deal with, only on a much larger scale."

The pink haired kunoichi shook her head in disbelief due to seeing how much Hinata had been crying. "I-I couldn't have been that bad to him. You've seen how the villagers treat him, I was nothing like them!" she tried to defend herself with her warped sense of logic.

The Hyūga nodded her head. "You're right about being nothing like them…you're worse! All the villagers do is either ignore him or give him evil glares. You push, shove, call him stupid names, make fun of him for no reason at all, I'd even be willing to bet that you twisted some of those chat stories about Naruto just so you could have others laugh at him with you." The girl brought her arm up to wipe away more tears. It hurt her to repeat all the mistreatment Sakura had done to the blond boy.

Sakura looked over the boy on the ground. Her initial state of shock began to wash away as guilt started to overcome her heart at the sudden realization of what Hinata had said. "I really have been treating him like the villagers," she was clearly depressed as she muttered those words.

Hinata let out several more tears but wiped them away with a new resolve. _I'm finally getting through to her._ She cleared her throat to speak, "I tried to tell you earlier, but you were too stubborn to realize what you were doing. Now you've become exactly like the villagers…no, exactly like the girls who used to hate you."

Sakura cringed at the thought. She easily recalled the conversation they had on KIM a week earlier and how Hinata had called her out. _She's right, I have been acting exactly like all of them. He knows exactly what I've been through, and here I am, continuing what the villagers have been doing to him his whole life._ She looked over the other girl's shoulders at the unconscious blond laying on the ground. A small tear ran down the side of her cheek and she looked back at Hyūga, who was drying her face. There was something that still puzzled her. "Why are you doing all this for him, Hinata?"

Hinata was somewhat caught off guard by her question, but she knew full well what her answer would be. "Because he deserves better, especially after everything he has done for me."

A slow clap sounded from the entrance of the rest area. The two girls along with Shino shifted their gaze towards the new intruder. "That was quite touching if you ask me." The silver-haired man adjusted his glasses. What little light from the hideout reflected off his glasses, hiding the true stare he gave towards Hinata.

The indigo-haired girl fell backwards to the ground. Her hands began to shake as she tried to support herself. Her breathing accelerated alongside her heart beat. It was the same exact feeling that she felt earlier that day, fear.

Sakura took notice of the other kunoichi's actions; she could tell that this man was strong. Within a second, her hands flipped out a kunai and she took on a defensive stance. She cleared her throat before speaking, "Who are you and what do you want?"

The man let a smirk cross his lips. "You can call me Kabuto and you have something I want."

"We don't have any scrolls. We lost them earlier in a fight so please leave us alone." Sakura tried her best to persuade the man to leave, but he didn't budge.

"Our scrolls are not with us either, because out other teammate has them." Shino readied his arms in a starting position. The buzzing sound of his kikaichū bugs underneath his trench coat began to get louder as they prepared for battle.

Kabuto let out a cocky chuckle at both their antics. "I don't want your stupid scrolls." The cheerful expression on his face died as his hand rose up while pointing to Hinata. "I want the Hyūga." He took several steps towards the girl but was stopped as a wall formed in front of him.

Shino had dropped his hands to the forest floor and unleashed his bugs between Kabuto and Hinata. "Get up Hinata!" the boy shouted to her.

The heiress gave a shaky nod and quickly got up. Her legs still shook at every step, but she managed to make her way over to the bug user. Her voice was still caught in her throat from the sight of Kabuto so she simply muttered a thank you.

"Do you really think your bugs will stop me?" the silver-haired man questioned. As he looked over at the two with a smirk, his hand lifted in the air as if it was going to give a high five. In almost an instant, the hand was covered in a glow of light blue. With one quick swipe, he ran his blue covered hand through the wall of bugs next to him. Hundreds of Shino's bugs fell to the floor, cut up into tiny pieces. Kabuto watched as the rest of kikaichū bugs retreated back to their master. "You see, my chakra scalpel can cut through your bugs with ea—" he was cut off by an explosive tag that started on fire above him.

The explosion erupted from the front of the hideout. The dust that was kicked up from the shockwave filled up the entire room. If anyone was watching, they wouldn't be able to tell what was going on. Kabuto was launched backwards into the clearing in front of the hideout while Shino emerged from the smoke, brushing off his jacket sleeves. "Those bugs were only there to distract you. Do not underestimate me."

The silver-haired man gave off another smirk as he wiped the blood from his mouth. _The kid's a lot smarter then he looks. Guess I'll have to hurry with him then. _In an instant, Kabuto disappeared and then reappeared in front of the boy using his unmatched speed. He dropped to the ground and swept his right leg under the boy, bringing him down. With his right leg still in motion, he brought it up and slammed his foot onto Shino's chest. All had worked well for him until the boy began to dissolve into bugs. He leapt away, hoping that the bugs would not follow.

Shino was one step ahead of him. Before the man could turn around, a swarm of bugs came out from behind a tree in a sneak attack. _His speed is good, but he will have to do better than that._ He watched as both swarms of kikaichū bugs darted at the man, only to be cut down effortlessly by his chakra blades.

Within a second, Kabuto appeared to the right of the boy. Shino didn't have time to react as he felt two light taps against his body. His strength seemed to leave him as he fell to his right knee while his left arm went limp. The attack caused his breathing to become heavier, and he grunted in pain as he held his left arm.

Kabuto smiled at the boy's predicament. "I take it you've never seen a medical-nin fight before?" He watched the brown-haired boy's eyebrow rise in confusion. The man raised his hand again and activated chakra around his hand. "This is called a chakra scalpel. It allows me to cut small things with ease, like your kikaichū bugs as an example. But when I touch your skin with it, I'm able to cut your muscle tissue or tendons. Needless to say, you won't be moving for a while. Don't worry, I have no intention of killing you. Like I said earlier, I only want the Hyūga."

* * *

Back underneath the tree, the two kunoichi were trying their best to wake the two unconscious boys. "Sasuke-kun, please wake up!" The pink haired girl shook the unconscious boy the best she could. Her efforts were meaningless to get his attention. She looked over at the other side of the room to see Hinata trying the same for the other boy. Memories of her belittling the blond haunted her thoughts. However, what also shocked her more was the images of anger she had yelled at Hinata earlier that week. _I've caused both of them so much pain. I have to make it right somehow. _

"Naruto-kun, you have to get up!" Hinata's shaky voice was barely above a whisper, but she tried her best. The boy never budged. With a defeated expression on her face, she looked over at Sakura to see if she made any progress only to find her lost in some mental debate. She couldn't help but stare, wondering what was going on with the pink haired girl.

It took Sakura a couple seconds to realize the girl was gazing at her. Shaking away her uncertain look, she tried her best to muster up the courage to talk to the dark-haired kunoichi. _I know it's not exactly the best time, but I need to tell her._ She cleared her throat, hoping her voice wouldn't let her down. "H-Hinata, I-I'm—" she was cut off by a loud blast that shook the shelter.

An explosive tag had launched Shino up against a tree. His cry of pain echoed throughout the shelter. It caused the two girls to race out of the hideaway area to watch the battle. The bug user's head slowly turned in pain towards the direction of the two newcomers on the battlefield. "Get out of here Hinata."

The Hyūga gasped in shock as she looked over the boy against the tree. She had never seen him take so much damage. Both his arms and legs were tattered and limp from Kabuto's chakra scalpel. Blood was splashed in several spots on his jacket and it also trickled down the right side of his face. Unfortunately for Hinata, Shino's shout had alerted the man of her presence.

"Ah Hinata, so glad you could join us." Kabuto began walking over towards the frightened girl. He noticed out of the corner of his eye the swarm of bugs after him but he quickly chopped away at them with his energy-covered hands. "Give up, there's nothing your puny bugs can do against me." He continued forward until he was stopped again, this time, by a little barking dog.

"_Gatsūga._" A human sized drill came crashing down to the earth between Kabuto and his target. The man jumped back only to be in the path of another giant drill. He barely managed to dodge the attack as he jumped for a higher branch. The first drill that impacted the ground slowed to a stop. Kiba emerged out of the hole that he had dug. "Shino, if you're going to keep a bug on me at all times, at least tell me, ok?" The dog user looked over towards the boy against the tree. "Damn Shino, what did they do to you?"

The weakened boy just nodded to acknowledge Kiba's presence. He let out a cough before he spoke, "He's after Hinata. Keep her safe."

Kiba let a smirk over take his face. "You got it bug boy. It's time to send this kitten back to its litter. Akamaru, get back here." A figure that was presumed to be Akamaru jumped out of the cloud of dust that the second drill had left. It wasn't the little dog that everyone knew, rather an exact copy of Kiba himself which stood on all fours. "You ready boy?" He nodded to his companion after receiving a growl. Both the brown-haired boy and his look alike jumped to attack Kabuto, who was standing on a high branch.

_An Inuzuka? This will be interesting. He can't do anything if I take out his pet._ Kabuto leaped to another branch as one of the human drills busted through the one he was previously on. Unfortunately for him, both the boy and his clone took turns in attacking. He would have to stay on the defensive for the moment.

* * *

Hinata and Sakura were trying their best to move Shino out of danger. Both kunoichi supported the boy by his arms as they slowly carried him to the makeshift shelter. Slowly, they rested him on his back in between the two other unconscious boys. As soon as he was flat on the ground, the indigo-haired girl dug around her bag for her medical ointment. Sakura's thoughts still haunted her about her shameful actions. Just watching the girl trying her best to help her friend in any way possible brought a tear to her face. She could only imagine what heiress had done to comfort Naruto.

"Hinata, there is something I need to tell you." The pink-haired girl looked down at the floor, missing the questioning look from the other girl. "I'm sorry…for blaming you for Naruto's actions. I realize it wasn't really your fault. You were just trying to help him."

Hinata said nothing. Instead, she let a slight frown come over her as she continued the ointment treatment on the boy in front of her. After putting away her ointment cream, she rose up to greet a pair of emerald eyes that begged for an answer. And she would give them one. "I do forgive you Sakura-san, but I'm not the one you should be saying that to."

Sakura watched as Hinata's head turned towards the blond on the ground. The slight smile she had on from hearing the girl forgive her disappeared when she realized that she still had Naruto to deal with. Another wave of guilt overcame her; however, this one hit a lot harder than the first. _I wonder if he will ever forgive me._ A pale hand on her shoulder brought her back to reality.

"I'm sure it will be alright, but now we need to help Kiba-kun." Hinata gave the girl a smile, hoping to cheer her up. With a hesitant nod from Sakura, the two ran back to the clearing hoping to be of some assistance for their dog loving friend. However, they had moved too high into the tree tops for their normal eyes to see. The Hyūga had no choice but to use her Byakugan.

The battle seemed to be going in Kiba's favor. Kabuto could only dodge the attacks made by him and Akamaru. Everything was fine until the silver haired man began to fish in his bag for something. Kiba continued to attack with everything he had, only he missed seeing Kabuto place the piece of paper on the branch he was on. Hinata tried to warn him the best she could, but it was no use. They were too high up to hear anything.

Kiba was flung into another branch from the explosion, and he barely managed to hold on for dear life. After noticing that Kabuto had also been knocked away by the blast, he ordered his companion to attack. "Quick Akamaru, hit him while he's off balance!" The dog quickly continued its Gatsūga assault.

There was something different this time. Kabuto stood there on the branch, waiting for the attack to come. Even though the human drill was charging at him with full speed, he never flinched. As Akamaru closed in on him, the man activated charka around his hands again. Only this time, the glow was a light green. Right before impact, he slammed his hands against the tip of the grayish drill.

It seemed like Akamaru was winning the battle until he slowly began to stop rotating. The Kiba clone's eyes widened when Kabuto griped his arms. The man watched him squirm for several seconds before he dealt a final blow to its face. The doppelganger was flung out into the clearing above the tree tops and left to plummet to the ground. His disguise disappeared in a ball of smoke, revealing a helpless dog falling towards the forest floor.

"Akamaru!" Kiba shouted in distress. He forced himself to climb up on the branch only to quickly jump off of it towards a lower one. Tears of anger left the boy as he dashed down the tree as fast as he could. If only it was one of those moments where time would seem to slow down, then he could make it to him for sure. _No, please no!_ He knew he wouldn't make it, but the boy quickened his pace the best he could even though he was almost at his limit.

Hinata watched in horror at what had happened. Akamaru had taken a direct hit and was now plummeting to the ground at an extraordinarily fast pace. There was no way she would be able to catch him even if she tried. Kiba was chasing desperately after his best friend while their assailant stood at the top of the trees with a smirk on his face. "H-he beat them."

"Wait, you mean Kiba lost? What's happening up there? I thought he was the strongest on your team, how could he lose?" Sakura questioned.

Hinata didn't know what to say. The only thing she could do was point up into the sky at the falling dog. It hurt her to see the once cheery puppy now falling down to the ground while his master hurried to catch him. Impact was coming. She closed her eyes because she couldn't bear to watch the scene unfold.

There was no sound. It haunted her for several seconds until she hesitantly opened her eyes. Lavender orbs opened wide in shock. Akamaru had been caught, but not by Kiba. Instead, it was new enemies to deal with.

"Well this is no good; the dog doesn't have any chakra left." A tall man with completely black eyes had caught the dog before it hit the ground.

"Hey Kabuto, you're taking too long. If you're going to have fun with the brats then you should have at least told us," the shorter man shouted towards their other team member.

Kabuto landed on the ground several seconds after Kiba had. "I'm sorry. First some bug tried to stop me and then this mutt got in the way. If you want, feel free to fight the other two here. Just leave the Hyūga to me." The man adjusted his glasses with an evil grin on his face.

Anger filled Kiba's heart. His face tightened up while he got into a fighting position. "Let Akamaru go now!"

"As you wish." The black-eyed man threw the dog to the ground. If it wasn't for the mask covering his face, they would have seen the crazed smile formed by his lips.

Kiba's anger was getting the best of him. His teeth began to grind as he brought his hands up to form a head seal. If it wasn't for being in the heat of battle, he would have rushed over to his comrade instantly. But he would not let their actions go unpunished. "_Shikyaku no Jutsu," _he called out. Instantly, the tattooed boy began to take on the appearance of a dog. His pupil eye slits thinned out even more while two fangs began to stick out of his mouth. He got down on all fours while his nails began to grow to claws. The feral look that grew on his face screamed for revenge. He eyed his opponent one last time before making his charge.

The shorter man looked over his opponent and scoffed. "Am I really supposed to fight the pink-haired girl?" he directed the question at his teammate next to him. He began to crack his knuckles with anticipation.

"Just be quick Misumi. I don't want to be here all day." Kabuto readjusted his glasses, causing the light to reflect off it.

Sakura's eyes grew bigger at the men's comments toward each other. Her body began to shake vividly. _They plan to kill me._ She turned her head towards the area with the three resting shinobi they knew. _Shino's injuries are far too worse to help us and the other two are still out cold. The only thing we can do is defend ourselves._ The shaking increased. Sakura rarely had to worry about fighting with an enemy since Naruto and Sasuke would always take care of them. Now it was her time to show be confident and show what she could do. Needless to say, it wasn't much.

Slowly, her hand reached for a kunai in her pack and brought it up into a defensive position. She took a gulp to calm herself for her opponents attack. The trembling never stopped and didn't go unnoticed.

Misumi let out a smirk hidden underneath his mask. He instantly started closing the distance between his target, and her shakiness was clearly obvious to him. The man lowered his head and shoulders, preparing for impact. What he missed by doing that was seeing Sakura bring her hands together to form several seals. Contact was made, and he could feel and clearly hear the snapping sound of the object he hit. However, the man's eyes widened in shock when he turned around only to see pieces of a wooden log lying on the floor.

Sakura was off to the side of the man, breathing heavily. She had barely gotten off her substitution jutsu by using a nearby tree branch. Heart beat raced with her breath as she looked up towards the man. The girl readied herself for another attack.

Everything was happening so fast around Hinata. Kiba was holding his own against the tallest man of the group. But from what she could tell, it wouldn't last for long. Sakura was trying her best against the man called Misumi but Hinata knew she wasn't that strong of a fighter. The substitution jutsu drains chakra on use so it was only a matter of time before the pink-haired kunoichi would get hurt.

Hinata couldn't help but feel responsible for everything that was happening. _This is all my fault. If I hadn't wanted to search for Naruto-kun then we could have made it to the tower by now._ The heiress was brought back to reality by the snapping of a twig in front of her. She had almost forgotten about Kabuto. Moving into her gentle fist stance, she activated her Byakugan again. "S-stay away from me," she demanded the best she could.

The man stopped in his tracks, giving a slightly curious look towards the girl. "Don't be that way Hinata. Just cooperate with me and it will be over before you know it." A smug smile crossed his lips at the end of that sentence.

The dark-haired girl began to hate the way he talked along with his smirk. She watched the man keep his calm while he adjusted his glasses from a distance. She was beginning to hate that too. "W-what do you want from me?"

Kabuto chuckled to himself before he continued to walk closer towards the Hyūga. He decided to stop again when she stiffened up, preparing for an attack. Only this time, he responded to her with a smile. Had they met on different conditions, Hinata might have considered it to be a real smile showing how he cared for her, but she knew better. "Your beautiful eyes."

* * *

Moaning came from the unconscious boy. Every part of his body hurt from his fight with the snake man. His head fell over to the side when he tried to move which put him in more discomfort. His eyes strained to open but once they did, they were met by several ant-sized bugs on the floor next to him. "Ah—" the boy's shout was cut off after feeling another surge of pain shoot through him.

"Don't scare my bugs, because they do not like that," a monotone voice sounded at the blond on the floor.

Naruto looked up the best he could, trying to avoid as much soreness as possible. He was shocked to see Shino lying on the floor next to him. "What are you doing here?"

The member of team eight knew the reason why his team was there in the first place, but he didn't want to reveal Hinata's true feelings for the ramen lover. He would have to keep the story vague. "Our team ran into yours and another team attacked both of ours."

The blond eyed the bug shinobi on the floor. Bugs were running around trying their best to help their master recover. Whoever he had fought did a real number on him. "Do you know what team you were fighting against?"

"He called himself Kabuto but my bugs now tell me his two partners have also joined in the fight," the brunette said in a dark tone, he was beginning to worry about something.

Deep blue eyes shot wide open. _ Kabuto? That's the man who was talking with Hinata earlier!_ "Shino, where is Hinata?" his voice desperately needed an answer.

One of Shino's bugs flew into the rest area as fast as it could. Instantly, it began flying circles around its master's head, relaying information from the battle currently taking place. The boy raised an eyebrow when the bug finished its report. Several battle cries could be heard outside of the safe zone and confirmed his received message. "She is fighting Kabuto."

* * *

The canine-like boy was engaged in a heavy fist fight. Every attempt made at the tall man was either dodged or blocked and then usually followed by an opposing punch which Kiba would have to dodge. He didn't know why, but for some reason every time one of the man's punches almost hit him, chakra seemed to leave from his body. His feral-like appearance had begun to wear off while his speed began to decrease.

"I see my chakra draining technique is starting to take effect on you," the man bellowed in laughter. He made another attempt at punching the boy but barely managed to miss.

_I need to get away from him or I'm done for._ Kiba winced at some pain that coursed through his body. His hand shuffled around in his pouch searching for the smokescreen ball. After finding what he was looking for, he quickly tossed it on the ground. A large cloud of purple smoke arose to cover the whole area he was in. Knowing it was the right time to run, he quickly made his way out of the smoke until a hand came out to stop him.

The boy tried to dodge the swipe but instead tripped over his feet. As soon as he hit the ground, both of the man's hands latched onto his shoulders. "You're mine."

* * *

Sakura was running out of breath. She had used the substitution jutsu well over ten times within the past couple minutes and was nearing closer to her limit. The charging man had begun to use his specialized jutsu where he is able to dislocate his joints and control the rest of his body with chakra. In this form, he slithered like a snake in quicker attacks.

Misumi was closing in for another attack. Once again, he collided with a wooden tree branch. "You can't hide forever, you know."

The pink-haired girl had hid herself behind a tree hoping he wouldn't notice. She took this time to catch her breath. _I can't do anything to him. There is no way I can beat him. _She pulled out several shurikens hoping to catch the snake like man off guard.

In one slithering movement, Misumi made for another attack from behind the tree. He quickly wrapped himself around the tree Sakura had tried to hide. He tightened his grip on her, keeping her pressed against the tree. "I've got you now."

* * *

Hinata was facing one of her hardest opponents she had fought against, but that did not prevent her from seeing the others get defeated. She wanted to help, but there was no way Kabuto would let her escape for even a moment. Several of his attacks had connected with her and she was starting to feel the pain from it. Even though some of her attacks were landing, she couldn't understand was how he was able to open his chakra flow right after she would close them.

The Hyūga heir continued with her Jūken style of combat. She began to attack relentlessly trying to keep him on the defensive. Palm attacks deflected off his arms while she dodged his punches until something else caught Kabuto's eye. _He's open!_ Hinata brought her hand back to build momentum for her next attack. In a swift movement, she thrust her hand forward, slamming it right at Kabuto's heart.

The man clutched his chest and began coughing blood. While he may be able open his chakra flow in the middle of battle, there was no way he would be able to heal internal damage without taking a break from fighting. He looked up at the heiress with a new look in his eyes, one filled with anger. "You'll pay for that," he hissed.

The battle had taken a turn for the worst for Hinata. Kabuto had started to attack even faster than before. The girl's flexibility could only do so much for her due to his increased speed. Every attack that she took resulted in her taking a step back. _I can't keep up with him._ After finishing that thought, she instantly felt the damage of his fist landing in her stomach. It launched her up against a giant tree causing even more pain to shoot through her. Before she could fall to the ground, his left hand grabbed a hold of her neck, keeping her pressed against the tree.

"Now I'll just take your eyes, it will only be a few seconds." Kabuto smirked as he watched her try to attack his left arm holding her. He brought his right hand up in the air and enveloped it with his charka scalpel technique. His smirk grew bigger when he saw her eyes widen in a reaction to his arm. "Yes, open your eyes. It will be easier to take them out."

Hinata struggled the best she could. Her fists beat against his arm but he never budged. She kicked several times against his side but it resulted in a tighter grip across her neck. It became harder for her to breath and the only thing she could see was his slowly moving hand. _This can't be happening. Kiba-kun, Sakura-san, Naruto-kun, anyone please help!_ The man's hand crept closer and closer until it finally stopped.

The loud cracking noise from Kabuto's glasses broke through Hinata's thoughts and she was instantly dropped to the ground. Her own hands automatically reacted to grasp her own neck as she coughed from the lack of air. When she was finally able to get a hold of herself, her lavender orbs looked up to gaze at the newcomer who saved her. It was Naruto.

Only this time when their eyes locked, she was able to notice something different about him. Calm and caring cerulean blue eyes were replaced with aggressive and angry fire red ones. His thin whisker-like marks on his cheeks had become thick and dark lines that almost looked like they were scratched in. His fingernails had grown longer like how Kiba's had earlier. She could clearly see two distinct fangs had grown out of the top of his mouth when he talked. "Are you alright?" his voice seemed heavier than before.

Hinata was at a loss for words. _What's wrong with Naruto-kun? He doesn't look normal._ Her breathing pace sped up as she began to shake. She tried to vocalize something, but not even a stutter would come out.

Kabuto picked up his glasses from the ground while holding on to his cheek that had been hit. The right side had been completely smashed into tiny fragments. He put them on the best he could and looked over at the blond-haired boy who was giving him a death stare. _Orochimaru claimed that he sealed the Kyūbi's chakra, yet he is still able to access it._ His eyes gazed over at his tallest teammate who was currently charging the blond boy. "Yoroi, stay back," his voice was calm and commanding but the other man failed to heed his warning.

"You little punk. I'll drain all the chakra from you." Yoroi jumped at Naruto and landed his chakra-covered hand against the boy's head. The smile under the man's mask grew as he felt the chakra being transferred to his own body. His grin began to fade when he saw the boy chuckle to himself. A burning sensation began to run through the man's body. "What is this? What's going on?"

Naruto's snicker stopped as he began to answer the man, "If you knew what was inside of me, you wouldn't be taking my chakra right now."

Hinata let out a gasp as one of her hands covered her mouth. She couldn't believe what she was seeing. The man had dropped to the ground while shouting in pain. Both his hands had severe burn marks on them. _What did he do to him?_ She watched as Naruto quickly punched the man sending him flying over to where Kabuto was.

As soon as the blow had been delivered, Misumi released his hold on Sakura in order to begin his snake-like attack on the boy. "I'll make you pay for that." Before the man could even make it half way, the boy disappeared from sight. His speed had become unrivaled. He instantly reappeared above him, landing a drop kick right on top of the man's legs.

Hinata lost her breath when she heard Misumi let out a blood-curdling scream from his broken legs. She cringed as Naruto picked up the man and threw him on top of the other beaten man. _That isn't_… The blond began walking towards the silver-haired man. Tears started to form in her eyes when she heard him utter the words "I'm not through with you yet." _That isn't…_ Memories of bright smiling boy flashed through her mind: the time he ate the cinnamon roll with her, the time they were on top of the Hokage Monument together, everything came rushing back to her. _That isn't…the Naruto-kun I know!_ Her tears began to overflow and ride down the side of her face. With the strength she had left, she forced herself to stand and ran over to Naruto. "Stop it!"

Naruto was enveloped by the darkness within his body. Seeing everyone he knew being hurt made it impossible for him to suppress his anger. The killing intent given off by the Kyūbi's chakra was easy to sense for him, but that wasn't the only thing driving his rage. Images of his teacher ran through his thoughts. _"Promise that you will do your best to protect them."_ He took another step forward. _I made a promise, and I intend to keep it. _

He had only experience this kind of anger once before when his emotions ran wild after seeing Sasuke almost die right in front of him. This time, his emotions were set off after almost seeing Hinata get beaten down by Kabuto. And he was going to make that man pay. The blond had no intention of stopping until he suddenly felt the warmth of two arms wrap around him.

Hinata didn't know what to make of the boy's actions but she had to stop him for his own sake. His head whipped to the side in order to look at the crying girl causing their eyes to lock. She could see the internal struggle he was having with himself through his cold stare. His glare made all hope of bringing the real Naruto back seem lost, but she still had to try. _He's still Naruto-kun, he has to be. _It broke her heart to see him like this. "Please…stop…"

Naruto stood there staring at the girl with no emotion…on the outside. Inside him, the darkness that had encased around his mind started to crack. Every tear that he could see from Hinata caused it to crack even more until it finally broke. The once dark area of his mind turned into a shining white light. The subconscious Naruto had to squint his eyes at the bright light that swarmed his mind. A figure shaped like a girl appeared in his mind before he was brought back to the real world. The first thing he saw was a crying Hinata holding him. _Hinata?_

The blood red-eyes began to waver and reverted back into the azure blue ones Hinata once knew. His thick whisker marks began to thin out along his cheeks. After fully resuming his original form, his legs gave way letting him fall down to the ground. He managed to drag Hinata with him, causing her to cry out his name with worry.

Kabuto wasn't sure of what to make of the situation that had unfolded before him. It would have been the perfect situation to get what he came for if it hadn't been for Naruto's interference. But another threat started to loom over him. He could sense Sasuke emerging from their sheltered area with his curse seal activated. _It looks like Orochimaru's prize has awaken. Unfortunately for me, I'm at my limit to take him on._ The silver-haired man pulled his Scroll of Earth from his pack. "Here, you earned it. But know this, I will come back for what I want." He tossed the scroll to the two on the ground before disappearing with his teammates in a cloud of smoke.

Naruto picked up the scroll lying in front of him but not without catching a glimpse of the Hyūga's face. Her fear of his wellbeing was obvious too him but he had no clue how to respond to her. He could only look back at the scroll in front of him and clench his fist harder as reality began to sink in. _She saw everything…

* * *

_

Night had fallen for the first day. Team seven along with team eight had decided to set camp up together so they could help each other recover from the injuries from the previous battle. Sasuke had gone off to keep a lookout while the rest were sitting around the campfire. Everyone had been wrapped up in bandages except for Naruto since they had run out of medical kits to use. He didn't mind because he knew the Kyūbi would recover his injuries for him. However, his actions still caused Hinata to worry. The spirits of everyone didn't seem to be high that night, so Kiba decided to take on the roll of cheering them up.

"So then he says, 'Your dog just pissed on the bug I was trying to catch.' His expression was priceless! I mean, Shino isn't one to express much but the way his eyebrows rose just made it even more hilarious." Kiba began to laugh at his own joke completely unaware of the glare he was getting from the boy next to him.

"Do you really need to bring up that story all the time, because it is starting to hurt your relationship with your comrade?" Shino adjusted his glasses, ignoring his partner's glare.

"I'm just trying to cheer them up, ok?" Kiba looked around at the other three who were around the fire with them. They all had a look on them as if they were mentally debating something. He didn't dare ask what was up with Naruto since he had caught a glimpse of his fight earlier. What left him more puzzled was the looks that the two girls kept giving each other. The boy leaned over to his teammate and whispered in his ear, "What's bugging those two?"

Shino didn't even bother to hide his sentence from the two. "They had what you would call...a cat fight."

The two continued to talk amongst each other, which is more than could be said for the girl next to them. Hinata didn't know what to say to the blond. She had experience another side of Naruto that she had never seen before. His red eyes had somehow burned a mental image in her mind that she couldn't get rid of. _What was with Naruto-kun earlier? I know he was Naruto-kun but he didn't seem anything like him. I should say something. He hasn't been acting normal since before this exam._ Her head turned towards the boy to her right. She could have sworn he was in a different world with the look he was giving the camp fire. The girl's fingers began to fidget as she stuttered out a comment, "A-ano, N-Naruto-kun."

The blond sat there, making no movement as he gazed into the burning fire. There was only one thing running through his mind. _How am I supposed to explain what happened earlier. 'By the way, the Kyūbi was never killed thirteen years ago. It was sealed inside me when I was born.' She would probably hate me like all the villagers do. Right when I found a true friend, I go and screw it up! I don't know if I can face her._ It wasn't until he heard the slight coo of her voice that he was brought back to reality. He looked over at the girl with his lower lip bit in anticipation for some harsh words to be said.

Hinata cleared her throat. She could see the worry in his eyes. Obviously whatever she had seen that day had really shaken him up. She would give anything to see one of his trademark smiles again. A slight blush came over her. "Thank you, f-for saving me." She let out one of her own small smiles to express her gratitude.

Naruto was caught off guard by her words. Sure it was Hinata, but after unwillingly showing her his Kyūbi form, he had at least expected her to say something equivalent to what Sakura or the villagers might. But there was something else that shocked him even more.

It was her smile. The same exact smile she had given him before the first test of the exam. The warm feeling ran through him again, only he felt something else with it this time. It was like her smile was saving him, saving him from all the wrongs everyone had done to him.

"_Someone who causes you to feel that way must be a very important to you and your friendship with them shouldn't be taken lightly."_ He was beginning to understand what Iruka meant when he spoke those words. Not wanting to see the girl's smile go away, he gave her one of his own cheeky grins as his hand scratched the back of his head. "You're welcome."

Sakura had been watching the two out of the corner of her eyes. The images of Hinata scolding her for all the wrong things she had done flashed through her mind. _"You two are exactly the same!"_ _She's right, we are the same. But how will he ever forgive me?_ She turned around to pick up the spare medical kit that she was saving for Sasuke. _This is a start I guess. _After taking a deep breath, the pink-haired kunoichi stood up and made her way over towards Naruto and Hinata.

Naruto was puzzled by Sakura's actions to say the least. She hadn't said anything to him that night except for asking when he wanted to take his lookout shift. Now here she was, standing in front of him and she couldn't even make eye contact. Her change of personality began to worry him and he let his smile drop while he waited for a usual Sakura like remark.

Sakura noticed his reaction to her. Regret came over the girl while her foot fidgeted with the ground. _Here goes nothing._ She pulled the medical kit out from behind her back and held it out for the blond to take. "I-I'm sorry Naruto, for everything."

For the second time that night, Naruto had been left in shock. He sat there and continued to stare at the girl in confusion. _Wait, Sakura said she was sorry? Haruno Sakura just said she was sorry…to me…for everything._ He blinked several times to make sure he heard right, but his dumbfounded expression on his face never went away.

Hinata continued to smile at the pink haired girl's gesture. She knew full well what Sakura's words meant. With her help, Sakura was able to shatter her own circle of hate towards Naruto. Even though it was only one person, Hinata could tell that she was on the path to breaking Konoha's circle of hate. The heiress took the medical kit from the standing girl due to the boy's stunned reaction. The dark-haired girl mouthed a "thank you" to Sakura when she left.

Sakura returned to the log where she was sitting before and watched them with her emerald eyes. Hinata, with a deep red blush, had begun to wrap up the blond's arm with bandages. The two engaged in a small conversation and the girl could have sworn she heard several chuckles or laughs come from the two. While her apology hadn't turned out exactly as she had hoped, the result was still satisfying for her. However, one final thought did course through her mind. _You're wrong Hinata…he has found someone to save him.

* * *

_

Chapter 9 is a go! I was kind of worried about writing the fighting scene since it was the first I've ever tried. Hopefully it went over well with you along with the confrontation.

I decided to make this chapter a little longer then normal since my updates will take longer. I could have ended it on a nasty cliffhanger, but I figured since I already did last chapter, I would be nice this time around. :) I'm not sure if all the upcoming chapters will all be this long but I'll see what I can do.

Oh my god! Over 100 reviews! I wasn't expect this much until about chapter 20 or so since this is my first story. Thank you all who reviewed, they make my day. I figured the slap would really get some reactions last chapter. Special thanks to Blondi89 once again for helping me and this time also to Kingswriter too. Thanks a bunch! Please leave a review on the way out if you would like.

Until next time,

-Bench


	10. The Masks We Hide Behind

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. Never have, never will.

A/N: Wow...it has been a while since I've updated. I want to thank you all for patiently waiting for the update. I'm so sorry it took forever to do but hopefully this chapter will make up for it. On with the show!

* * *

Chapter 10: The Masks We Hide Behind

The forest was pitch black with only a slight hint of moonlight to guide the way. Two men jumped from branch to branch, making their way deeper into the forest. They hadn't said anything to each other since their loss earlier in the day. One of the men grunted, signifying that he was slowing down.

"Are we almost there? Misumi is getting pretty heavy." Yoroi adjusted the limp man on his shoulders for better balance.

"We are almost there, quit complaining," Kabuto said with an irritated tone. They had been following Orochimaru's faint chakra signal through the forest ever since their defeat. There was only one thing running through the man's mind right now, and he was going to confront his master about it.

They finally made it to the marked location of the sounds hidden base within the forest. The cave was dark and remotely hidden away from plain sight. It was the kind of cave that ran deep with many twists and turns along the way almost as if it was designed for a snake, the kind their master liked.

Yoroi set his partner down as soon as he stepped into the cave. Kabuto completely ignored his teammate's actions and marched down the cave. He made his way through the damp cave by following several torches which were lit along the walls. Finally nearing his way towards the end, he could make out three figures walking to him. Upon getting closer, his suspicions were confirmed that they were the three sound genin that had entered the exam. _They must have received an order._

Both parties passed each other, but not without exchanging a quick glance. The glares easily showed their feelings for each other. Kabuto let out a smirk when he caught a glimpse of the black-haired boy's broken arms. Quickly turning his attention back towards the hallway, he continued down his path as if nothing had happened. He had to focus on more important matters, like facing his master after the failed mission.

The silver-haired man gave a heavy cough and spat out some blood. His wound from Hinata's attack was taking a toll on him. He could see the dark figure sitting further ahead in the tunnel. The shadow's physical features began to match with his masters as he neared closer. "Lord Orochimaru, I have returned."

"And without the Hyūga's eyes I see." The figure's voice was chalky like an old man's but he didn't sound too surprised.

"There were some…implications," Kabuto said with a defeated tone. His black eyes looked away to avoid the incoming glare.

"How so?" Orochimaru raised an eye at the boy in front of him. His arms slithered along the chair's armrest until it rose to support his head.

"Apparently team eight decided to meet up with team seven. If it hadn't been for them, the job would have been completed easily." Kabuto tried his best to reassure his statement.

"Please continue the report," the pale-skinned man gave a slight chuckle. He originally planned to have his three sound genin test his newly found host's strength, but Kabuto's recent interaction with the group sparked his interest.

"The battle was in our favor until the boy with the nine tails awakened his powers." The man stopped talking after he heard the cackle from his master.

"That's not surprising. Please continue." The straight-haired man motioned for the teenager to continue.

Kabuto's eyes narrowed. "Not surprising? You told me that you sealed his demon chakra completely."

"If you're going to work under me, then you must learn how to adapt to situations." The master's voice quickly retorted. "I guess you could say that this was another one of your tests."

The man with glasses tightened his fists. "Another test? Haven't I proved myself enough for you with your tests? Do you still not trust me?" his tone started to rise.

Orochimaru chuckled again at his student's anger. "Now now, settle down. We don't want any unwanted attention drawn towards us." A small smirk grew on his face. "I need to you stay undercover a little longer. Does anyone know your intentions?"

Kabuto let out an irritated sigh. "Only team seven and eight. Everyone else should have no clue." His teeth began to grind at the end of the sentence.

"Good, that shouldn't be too hard to keep covered up. For your next task, go help the sound genin recover a set of scrolls needed to complete the exam. Apparently the team with the Nara managed to steal their scroll of earth and run away before they knew what hit them." Orochimaru let out another chuckle.

"If that Zaka pisses me off one more time, then I'll do more than just break his arms." Kabuto adjusted his glasses only to see his master get up and walk away from him.

"Do what you must. Sometimes sacrifices must be made." The older man's voice faded as he ventured further into the tunnel.

* * *

Hinata had been running for what seemed like hours to escape from her culprit. Jumping over moss-covered tree roots, ducking under hanging vines, there was no escape in the forest of death. If she would have turned her head around, she wouldn't have seen anything. However, the growing cackle always seemed to be noticeably behind her.

"Why are you running, can't we at least talk?" The silver-haired man had been chasing her ever since she was separated from her group. His stamina seemed to be limitless because his voice only grew louder as time passed.

Her legs carried her as fast as they could. That proved to be a tougher task as her feet became tangled with the random vines and branches on the forest floor. "Ah!" she shouted as her body plummeted to the ground with a thud. Coughing the dust away, she quickly sat up to begin running again only to find the man looming over her.

"You picked a nice spot to begin the procedure. The vines should hold you still." He began cracking his knuckles in anticipation.

She cringed in terror at the sight of him. Her hands moved to free her legs but it proved no use. His hands slow neared toward her with each passing second. _Please no, someone save me!_ Her eyes closed in a last ditch effort to protect herself. They only opened after a loud crack sounded above her. She didn't see an assaulting hand, but instead the backside of the ramen loving shinobi she adored. "Naruto-kun?"

It didn't take her another second to notice something was different about him. His head slowly turned around to the quiet call of his name. The girl's voice seemed to choke upon seeing his fierce red eyes glaring down at her. His snarls grew louder when he turned his body towards the helpless girl. White fangs grinded together even more when she was within his sight.

_Naruto-kun, what's happened to you?_ Tears started to pour down her face at the sight of him. The one she looked to for inspiration was now turned into some kind of beast whose killing intent radiated off of him. One twitch from the girl sent the fox like boy into action. The last thing she saw before her eyes closed was Naruto lunging at her.

* * *

Hinata's eyes shot wide open only to find herself staring at the blond boy from her dreams. Naruto had insisted that they roll out their sleeping bags next to each other for protection purposes. The girl didn't want to refuse him. Now he was sprawled out on top of his sleeping area, snoring like no tomorrow while his hands clenched around the corner of her sleeping bag. _I wonder if this is what it is like to wake up next to him. _The Heiress couldn't help but develop a slight blush from her thought and his childlike antics.

The slight jerk from him tugging on her sleeping bag caused her to sit up. After wiping the sleep from her eyes, she looked over at the boy once again. It was amusing to her that she found someone who could compete with Kiba's snoring. The indigo-haired girl turned to gaze up at the night sky with a sigh. _I guess it's my turn to keep watch. _

Hinata slipped out of her sleeping bag trying to cause as little of a disturbance to Naruto as possible. Her efforts proved to be in vain when he immediately pulled her sleeping bag into a tight hug after she was out. After putting on her pale hooded jacket, she gave a sweet smile to the boy and made her way out of the tent into the dark forest.

However, when the Hyūga girl was one step out of the viewing distance of their tent, all the images of the cheerful ramen-lover she knew vanished. She closed her eyes and took in a deep breath only to be met with the mental image of Naruto's burning red eyes. Her eyes swiftly shot open while her breathing started to stagger. She did her best to control herself as her feet carried her up the slight slope towards the watch point.

_That had to have been Naruto-kun, there's no other explanation for it. But his eyes did turn red. I thought he didn't have a bloodline limit._ Hinata stepped over a tree root trying to be as graceful as possible, but her thoughts kept preoccupying her mind. A slight frown came over her face. _Bloodline limits aren't supposed to change personality though. He broke that man's legs without even a second thought. _

The dark haired girl came to an abrupt stop as thoughts ran through her head. _"__**i_like_noodles:**__ It's not what I did…It's who I am." "You know father hates him for some reason." "If you knew what was inside of me, you wouldn't be taking my chakra right now."_ Once again, her lavender eyes shot wide open while her hands instantly covered her mouth in sudden realization. _Could that be the reason why my father, the villagers, everyone hates him? _

_Whatever is inside of him is the reason for everyone's hate. But I don't get it. It's not like he attacked us, rather, he was defending us from Kabuto. And it was Naruto, but at the same time, it didn't even feel like it was him. _Hinata began to take some more steps towards the top of the hill, but not without letting a sigh escape from her lips. _What could do that to a person? _

It didn't take long for her to reach the top of the hill. As she neared towards the peak, a shadowy figure began to take shape. It seemed to be staring off into the vast jungle lost in its own thoughts paying no attention to her as she approached. Naruto's sudden change wasn't the only thing she couldn't explain that day. For this person, the darkness seemed to emit an aura of fear around him no matter where he was. _Sasuke-kun…

* * *

_

Hinata remembered watching Naruto pick up the scroll that Kabuto had left on the ground. She sniffed while wiping away a tear in time to notice his fist tighten its grip on the scroll. _What was that Naruto?_ Her thoughts were brought to a halt by a shrieking scream from Sakura. Naruto immediately stood up and turned around in response to her call while Hinata's hand rose to cover her mouth. _Is that Sasuke-kun?_

The boy that Hinata once knew was Sasuke was now covered with black flame like marks all over his skin. A dark aura radiated off of him. If that wasn't enough to tell that something was different about him, the crazed look in his eyes was. "Where are they?" he voice demanded in a cold tone.

Hinata saw Naruto give a questionable expression at the other boy's command. Something didn't sit right with her. _Even Naruto doesn't seem to recognize what's going on. What happened to him? _The blond's voice startled her out of her thoughts.

"I beat them and they just ran off just a couple seconds ago. But more importantly, what the heck is wrong with you?" his voice was a mixture of worry and confusion.

The other boy's onyx eyes narrowed into a glare. "Don't lie dobe. If you messed up and they got away, just tell me. I'll make them pay for what they did to everyone."

Naruto's voice sounded even more confused as he flailed his arms around. "Why would I lie about this? Can't you see that they are gone? Now what the hell is wrong with you?"

In an instant, Sasuke appeared in front of Naruto and grabbed him by the collar of his jacket with his left arm. "Shino told me everything! They took down Shino and Kiba like they were nothing. How am I supposed to believe that a dobe like you could beat those three ninja?"

Hinata watched as the two boys locked their eyes against each other. The tension between the two could easily be seen by their facial expressions. _Sasuke-kun has never been this aggressive before. I thought Naruto-kun and him were friends. _

Naruto grinded his teeth as he tried to struggle free from Sasuke's grasp. "Damn it, are you even listening to me? I told you I beat them!" He tossed several punches at the other boy's arm but his attempts proved to be vain.

The Uchiha never budged from his position, but his face quickly grew a crazed expression. The marks on his face began to move around as his eyes widened. The cheeky grin he had easily signified that something in his brain had snapped. He proceeded to bring his right hand back in preparation for a punch.

_What's going on? Why is he doing this?_ Hinata's hands began to shake as the onyx-haired boy pulled his arm into a locked position. Her breathing started to get heavier while her vision began to blur from several tears. _They aren't supposed to be fighting. Their teammates, their friends! _"S-Stop it!"

"Stop it Sasuke-kun! Naruto is telling the truth!" The angered boy slowly turned his head to face two tear-covered, emerald eyes. "I saw everything. He really did beat them. We are all safe now and everything can go back to normal." Sakura's voice pleaded with him the best it could.

Sasuke turned his sights back towards the boy at the end of his other arm. The blond slowly began to open his eyes which he had closed earlier in anticipation of being hit. The black marks slowly began to retract to behind the boy's neck. Sasuke gave out a 'hn,' before he let go of the other boy and started to walk away from the battlefield.

Sakura blinked away a couple teardrops from her eyes only to see the boy she admired walk off. "Sasuke-kun, where are you going?" she called out.

"For a walk," the black-haired boy muttered as he wandered away from the group. He showed no signs of stopping because of the girl's call. It would be the last time the group saw him until later that night.

* * *

"Are you just going to stand there?" Sasuke didn't even bother to turn his head to address the girl behind him but his demanding tone was enough to startle her out of her thoughts. His head slowly turned to meet her with cold, dark eyes. "Well, are you?"

Hinata was trying to regain her breath from the sudden attention. When she was finally ready, she gave a quick bow. "I'm sorry Sasuke-kun. I'm here to relieve you from your watch for the night." The girl began to hold her breath, readying herself for his reaction.

But nothing happened. The boy simply turned his head back towards the dark jungle without saying a word. His eyes managed to spot a snake slithering towards a small, unsuspecting black mouse.

Hinata let the air out of her lungs as she walked a little closer towards Sasuke. She kept her distance from him however. After what the heiress had seen earlier that day, she didn't know what to think of him. The girl couldn't help but stare at him though. To her, it looked as if something was troubling him. _Maybe it's about earlier today. I could try talking with him. After all, it worked with Sakura. _She took a deep breath slowly before attempting to make a conversation. "Ano, Sasuke-kun, w-why did you try to hurt Naruto-kun earlier today?"

The pale-faced girl watched the boy carefully. He didn't make any sudden movements except for clenching his fist even tighter than before. Had she been able to see his face, she would have noticed the death glare he was giving to the snake and mouse. Hinata took a gulp to clear her throat. It had been easier to talk to Sakura, but just being in the same area with Sasuke was intimidating. "H-he was just trying to help us and he is your frie—"

"Naruto is not my friend," Sasuke quickly cut her off. His tone was sharp enough to cause the violet-eyed girl to let out a quiet gasp. He let out a slow, controlled sigh in order to calm himself. His eyes never deterred from the two animals.

Hinata kept her face pointed towards the ground as she tried to catch her breath. Her teeth began to nibble on her lower lip. _Not his friend? But why?_ She looked up to see the boy who hadn't moved and also caught sight of what he was looking at. "But why not? He's on your team."

This caused the onyx-haired boy to look over his shoulder towards the girl. "Why? You want to know why?" He paused for a moment to analyze her with his glaring eyes. "Because failures like him are supposed to stay as failures. Not be better than the Uchiha, one of Konoha's elite clan." The tone of his voice began to rise with his anger. The very thought of Naruto succeeding was enough to make his blood boil.

The heiress had to take a step back at the boy's sudden outburst. Regaining her ground, she made her stand. "T-that's not fair! P-people have a right to change w-who they are. I-I mean, I entered the Chunin Exams so that I could c-change myself. Naruto-kun entered because he wanted to prove that he could change from being the failure he once was."

"There is no such thing as changing who you are. People only hide behind masks so they can prevent others from seeing their true self." Sasuke turned his head away from the girl. She was starting to get on his nerves, but he quickly thought up of a way to end the conversation. This time, he began to speak with a more calm tone. "It wouldn't surprise me if you've already been deceived by Naruto's mask."

His words hit her like cold water and she instantly lost the air in her lungs. _N-Naruto-kun's mask? There's no way that's true. _Her lavender eyes began to water at the thought. She tried her best to regain her voice, but only barely audible sounds managed to escape her lips. "W-w-why would he h-have to h-hide his true self?"

In his mind, Sasuke knew he had already won this conversation. It allowed his mouth to form a slight smirk. "Because he hates Konoha. He hates them because they truly know what he is. A failure that has no place in the village."

Hinata couldn't believe what he was saying. Every word that he spoke began to slowly chip at her wall of confidence. _"__I want to prove to everyone in this village that I'm not a failure" "Y__ou need to have the courage to change yourself"_ The words she had seen and heard from the blond ran through her mind. She tried once again to reason with the boy in front of her. "B-but Naruto-kun is kind and courageous. H-he uses those qualities as motivation to k-keep moving forward."

The black-haired boy scoffed at her remark. "Naruto has none of those qualities. The only thing driving him is his hate which is a result from being a failure. He simply hides behind a mask, one which you have obviously fallen for." He turned back towards the area with the snake. It was in the process of devouring the little black mouse which made Sasuke cringe slightly.

"_He simply hides behind a mask, one which you have obviously fallen for."_ The words he spoke rang through Hinata's mind. The wall of confidence she built began to crumble down letting loose the waves of tears. Her knees gave way and let her slowly fall towards the ground. Weak arms tried their best to support her body so it didn't lie on the ground. She choked back some tears in order to attempt to speak. Her voice suddenly became very quiet and week. "I-I refuse to believe that."

Sasuke still managed to hear her voice and followed it with a sigh. "Believe what you want. However, you should worry more about yourself." He turned around to look at her but noticed no physical response from her. Only more tears began to fall. "I hear that the only promising prospect for the Hyūga is from the branch family."

Hinata couldn't believe what she was hearing. She knew she was a failure, but did he really have to point it out to her? Especially now given the situation she was currently in. She brought her hands to her face and tried to wipe some of the tears the best she could. Her only response to him was the sound of more sobs.

"You like him don't you?" Sasuke paused for a moment to watch the raven-haired girl's tear-covered face rise to meet his. His cold, monotone voice had returned when he asked the sudden question. He knew he had caught her off guard and was ready to deal the final blow with their conversation. "It's quite interesting really, a failure falling for a failure." And with that said, he turned around and walked away from the weeping girl on the ground.

* * *

The cool air flew through the small, sheltered area as the night went on. The only sounds that could be heard were the rustle of leaves and the faint buzzing sound from several insects, one of which had been given special orders to wake up a certain blond shinobi. The bug sailed along the air currents as it made its way toward its destination, underneath the boy's nose.

It didn't take long after the bug landed to cause the boy to squirm. His hand quickly clenched the nearest object, which happened to be the heiresses' pillow, and slammed it against his face. Naruto abruptly sat up with an alert expression only to notice the pillow he was holding. "Ack, Hinata's pillow!" His head quickly turned towards where the girl should be in order to apologize but found no one. In fact, the only thing he noticed moving was a small bug buzzing around in front of his face.

"It is now your turn to keep watch, which is why I have woken you with my kikaichū bug." Shino made no movement in reaction to the glare from the angered boy next to him. "And yes it was necessary to wake you, because if I had not, then you would sleep through the night," he quickly replied to counter Naruto's incoming comments.

The boy closed his mouth silently, never letting his glaring eyes leave the other boy on the ground. He grunted a little when he stood up from his sleeping bag and tossed on his bright orange jacket which had grown darker due to the cover of night. With hands tucked in his pockets and blue sandals barely tied on, he ventured out into the thick forest.

The walk seemed to take forever for Naruto. His feet dragged across the forest floor only to be met by branches that had fallen from the earlier fight. Every step he took through the area brought back haunting memories of that battle. Every time his foot hit a branch, the image of Hinata's stunned look displayed in his mind. The picture of her tear covered face would soon follow along with the words, _"Please…stop…"_ He took a moment to sit down on a tree stump in order to figure out his thoughts.

_Man I have no clue what I'm going to do. There is no way things are going to be normal between us now. _He picked up a twig from the ground and began to fiddle with it between his fingers. _Maybe if I think up of a good enough excuse, then everything will just blow off like it never happened._ He began to tap the small branch on his knee as he thought up of several possibilities. His hand moved underneath his chin to provide support for his thinking position. The taps of the twig became faster as his mind raced for an answer. In almost an instant, his eyes widened and the tapping stopped. _That's it!_

_I have a bloodline limit. One that is very rare and only the Uzumaki's have it. It makes me stronger and faster but slightly alters my physical shape. Now I just need a name for it. _His foot started to tap along with his thoughts. After a minute or two of no ideas, the boy pushed himself off the stump and started to walk uphill again. _Forget it. I'll waste too much time if I try to think up of a good name. Besides what are the odds of her asking that? _

Naruto had made it roughly two thirds of the way up to the watch spot before he came to another slow stop. A sad look came over his face again. _What if she figures out that I am lying? She's one of the only friends I have and I don't think I can bear to lose her. _Without even realizing it, his feet began to walk the rest of the way up the hill.

The Hyūga's figure slowly came into view from where she sat. The boy would have been able to see her if he wasn't lost in his own thoughts. Hinata had her arms wrapped around her legs while her head was pressed against her knees. The girl's body remained motionless except for the slight shaking of her head and shoulders. The small faint cries from her made their way over towards the blond-haired boy who had just entered the lookout area.

The heiress' cries snapped the boy out of his thoughts almost instantly. He quickly looked up to see where the sounds were coming from. _She's…crying?_ His feet rushed him over to her. Naruto quickly knelt to the ground in front of her and sat there quietly. His brain tried to take in all of what was happening before him. _Who on earth could have done this to her? _He placed his hand gently on her knee and started to shake it a little to get her attention. "Hey Hinata…are you ok? What happened?"

His calm and caring voice along with the sway of her leg caused her to slowly look upwards. Her misty eyes met with his caring, ocean blue ones. _"He simply hides behind a mask, one which you have obviously fallen for." _She could see his lips move but the only thing she could think about was the words Sasuke had told her. _Why would he have to hide who he really is? _Her head drooped back down and she continued to let out several sniffs.

Naruto didn't know what to think. For the first time, it seemed like Hinata didn't want to talk with him. _I don't get it. Who could have done this to her?_ He thought back to when the two groups decided who would be lookouts, only to have one name come to mind. His fist clenched at the thought. "It was Sasuke wasn't it?" The blond waited for a response from the girl, but no movement came. In his mind, he knew he was right. He rolled up his jacket sleeves and began to walk back towards the camp.

"N-no, wait!" Hinata's teary voice spoke as loud as it could to catch the boy's attention. She watched him turn around only to be met with a questioning look. "I-I mean, it's just t-that I think I sprained my a-ankle walking up here and it really h-hurt. Don't get mad at S-Sasuke, he didn't do anything."

A small wave of relief washed over Naruto. Handling a sprained ankle would be easier than facing Sasuke after what he had seen today. He walked over to her and pulled out one of her own medical ointments that she made for him. "You should be more careful, you never know when Kabuto might come out to get you," he made his hands into fake glasses and stuck out his tongue in an idiotic manor.

His actions caused a small smile to develop on the Hyūga's face. It didn't last long as she made a fake cringe of pain to help confirm which ankle had been hurt for the boy. She watched as he carefully slid off her worn down sandal. His soft hands covered with ointment began to rub on her foot which sent tingles through her. Had this been in any other situation, she probably would have giggled a little from the tickling sensation. However, she could only think about the possibility of Naruto hiding behind a mask. "Naruto-kun…can I ask you something?"

"Sure Hinata, what's up?" He took slight notice of her not stuttering and grew a little worried.

Hinata mentally debated on how to ask the question. She had the boy's full attention and his expression seemed to be slowly turning for the worst. "What happened to you today? You seemed like a totally different person out there."

The blond instantly stopped the rubbing motion of his fingers on her foot when he heard those words. He knew it was coming, yet the question still hit him hard. He sat there frozen trying to think of the cover up he had planned earlier, but nothing came to his mind. _Come on man, she is expecting an answer!_ Unfortunately for him, the only answer he could give was silence.

Several minutes went by and not a word was exchanged between the two. The heiress let her eyes drift towards the ground after her realization became true. _He really is hiding something. _She cleared her throat hoping that in her apology, she wouldn't cry about Sasuke's words being true. "I'm sorry Naruto-kun. I shouldn't have asked that –"

"No it's not your fault. You have every right to wonder what happened earlier today." Naruto cut her off before she could finish. He watched as her head rose back to eye level and mentally prayed that he wasn't making a mistake. "The thing is though, I'm worried of what might happen if I tell you the truth."

_Worried about what might happen? Why would he?_ It seemed as though a door had been shut on her. A door that she had wanted to go through and learn about for a long time had finally shut. Hinata went to say something to keep her hopes alive but was stopped by a finger held up from the boy next to her. Her eyes fixated on his as they practically cried out to let him finish. The girl could only comply with his request.

"I'm worried that if I tell you everything, you will think differently of me. I want to tell you what is going on, but I don't think that I'm ready to." His eyes drifted towards the ground as he let one hand rub across his forehead. _I hope I'm doing the right thing. _"I know that I have no right to ask you this, but would you be willing to wait for me until I am ready to tell you everything?"

The Hyūga's jaw dropped slightly. _He's not ready to tell me._ It was a statement that repeated over and over in her mind. The door that she thought he shut was now being opened just a little bit wider. She thought about Sasuke's comments and compared it with what Naruto had just said. As a result, only one question remained in her mind. "You promise?"

Without even giving it a second thought, Naruto held his hand out to her. "Cross my heart. We'll even shake on it." He could only hope that she would do the same.

All it took was the determined look from his eyes for her to be sold. Hinata would have to wait some more for him but she didn't mind it. After all, the girl had waited all though out the academy just to become his friend. How bad could a little more waiting be? And this time, Naruto had made it a promise to her. "Ok," she agreed with a slight nod as she placed her hand in his.

The ramen lover's cheerful smile began to show while he shook his hand to seal the deal. "You really mean it?" His eyes watched her closely as she gave another nod. "Thank you so much! I promise to make it up to you." He quickly abandoned the handshake to encircle her in a hug that caused her to squeak. For some reason, he found her reaction quite amusing. He let go, giving her a chance to breath.

Hinata quickly tried to steady her breathing and compose herself. It only took several seconds before it became silent between the two. Only the chirps from a couple of crickets entertained the two as they sat there. The girl slowly began to put on her sandal and tried to spark a conversation. "So w-what do you think your team is going to do tomorrow?"

Naruto's smile dropped a little bit. "I hadn't really thought of that. I guess we are going to have to find another scroll to finish this test. Man I can't believe I lost it!" He punched the ground next to him.

The thought hadn't occurred to the heiress at first, but she managed to recall the Scroll of Heaven she picked up in her search for Naruto. The Hyūga's tiny hands started to dig around in her supply pouch for the small scroll. Her back had been turned to the boy so she completely missed his questioning look. In a calm voice, she turned around to show him the scroll. "I-Is this the scroll you were l-looking for?"

The blond's eyes widened at the sight in front of him. "You're kidding me, you found a Scroll of Heaven? Hinata that's awesome!" He once again pounced on the girl, covering her in a tight hug. After a few seconds, the boy released her from his grasp when a sudden realization occurred to him. "Wait, that's not your scroll right?"

Hinata, once again, had to compose herself after his hug. "N-no, we f-found it b-before we met with your team." She quickly placed the scroll on the ground. Thankfully, the cover of night managed to hide her blush.

Naruto gladly took the scroll and tossed it in his bag. He turned back to her with one of his trademark smiles. "Thanks Hinata. I don't know what I would do without you"

_Without me?_ The blush grew even warmer on her cheeks and without thinking; she quickly turned around to hide it. "Y-y-your welcome, N-Naruto-kun." The heiress waited a few minutes until she decided her blush was gone, or at least she hoped so. Her eyes now rested on the boy who was lying flat on his back. Just looking at him caused her to become sleepy. She tried to keep her yawn quiet but it did not go unheard by Naruto.

"You know I am technically supposed to keep watch right now. You can go back to the others." He brought his hands underneath his head to create a makeshift pillow. The silence set in between the two once again that night. After hearing no response from her, he let out a sigh. _She must have left already. I would have enjoyed the company._

What he didn't realize was that she was still sitting there taking in the moment of opportunity that she had been given. Hinata was hesitant at first, but then decided to say what was on her mind. "A-actually, it's kind of d-dark out and hard to see. I-I think I'll just s-stay here for now." She crawled over next to him and used his leg as a pillow for her head. Slowly but surely, sleep came to take her away.

Naruto popped his head up a little bit making sure not to move too much so he didn't disturb her. He looked where the warmth had grown on his leg and smiled. Deciding that everything was good, he let his head come back down to rest on his hands. Even though he was supposed to be the lookout for the night, not even he could fight off the sleepiness which eventually overtook him. The only thing it left was a smile on his face.

* * *

Hope you all enjoyed it and was worth the wait. I made a new years resolution to update this more, I guess I'll see how that holds up. Also, there is a new poll in my profile regarding KIM. I'm just curious to see if people would want to see hints at of other pairings in the story. Vote if you would like.

A special thanks to Blondie89 and Someday-Known. They helped a lot with looking over this chapter. Also, this is my tenth chapter so I would like to thank everyone who has supported this story from the beginning. Thank you!

Lastly, Review are always welcome. :P

Until next time (hopefully not as long as this one),

-Bench


	11. Was I Able to Change?

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. Never have, never will.

A/N: Incoming long chapter. Edit: Should be error free now.

* * *

Chapter 11: Was I Able To Change?

The morning light tried its best to cut through the forest's thick canopy. Only several small rays of sunlight managed to reach the forest floor, lighting a way for the kunoichi. She gracefully walked along the sunlit path, stepping over roots and broken branches as she made her way towards the lookout area.

Her travels neared an end as she caught the blond in her sight. The girl slowly crept towards him trying not to startle him out of his sleep. She peered over his almost lifeless body with her emerald eyes. From the looks of it, he seemed to be at peace with everything around him and the last thing she wanted to do was wake him. If it hadn't been for Sasuke's orders, she would have left him be.

Sakura let her hands slowly make their way towards the boy's shoulders. They clutched the dirt-covered fabric and paused for a moment before they violently shook their target. "Naruto! Wake up!"

The sudden jarring brought the boy out of his sound sleep. He was a little disappointed when his eyes opened to see a different girl than the one from the night before. "I'm awake! Stop shaking me!"

"You do realize that the lookouts are supposed to stay awake right?" Sakura said as she backed away from the boy while he did some odd early morning stretch. She had asked him once about why he did the stretch and concluded that the only reason for it was to annoy her.

"I knew you were coming up here anyways so I figured that I could get a quick nap in. I ham ha ninha hafter hall." The ramen lover could barely finish the sentence due to the giant yawn attack that hit him. Rubbing the sleep from his eyes, he looked around to notice something was missing. "Hey, where's Hinata?"

The pink-haired girl let her eyes roll at his previous comment before she answered him. "Hinata and her team decided to leave early for the tower. The reason I came to wake you is because Sasuke-kun wants us to start looking for the other scroll. Since it's still early in the morning, we might be able to catch some teams off guard."

The tired blond paused for a minute to let all everything she had said sink in. Newfound energy shot through him when he remembered the scroll Hinata had given him. He quickly dug in his pouch and lifted up the scroll for the girl to see. "Sakura look at this. Hinata found the Scroll of Heaven I lost!"

Sakura was shocked at first but managed to hold her excitement to herself. With a slight grin, she mumbled to herself. "I guess I'll need to thank her again."

"Huh? What do you mean tha—" Before he could finish his sentence, a green backpack collided with the back of his head.

"Since we have the scroll, we can head towards the tower right away. Now get your things and let's go, Naruto." Sasuke slid on his own backpack and jumped off into the trees before the blond could question say anything back. Sakura quickly muttered a "Sorry" for him before she followed the other boy.

"Man, he really likes to get on my nerves." Naruto rubbed the back of his head to make the pain go away. He quickly put the scroll in his pocket and grabbed his backpack before following the rest of his teammates.

* * *

Hinata followed closely behind her teammates and they walked down the barely lit hallway. An exam instructor had told them to go to the waiting area while the last of the teams finished up the test. Time seemed to stand still for the Hyūga as she walked down the path. The only thing she could think about was if Naruto's team was ok. She had wanted them to travel as a group but Kiba had insisted that they leave early. As they drew closer to the door, her canine companion snapped her from her thoughts.

"Alright team, we finally made it. Time to see who the other unfortunate people are that get to face us." Kiba grabbed the door and swung it wide open to make his presence known to everyone. He didn't let the scowls from the others dampen his pride as he walked through the door.

"It seems that all of the rookie nine will pass this exam. All that's left is for Naruto's team to finish," Shino whispered as he scanned the room. He let out several of his scouting bugs from underneath his jacket to look around the room.

"Yeah, even that sand team finished too," Kiba added with a serious tone. Akamaru buried himself in his master's jacket and began to shake from hearing those words.

"I'm going to see what information I can get while we are waiting, because that is what a good ninja would do." The bug user let out another one of his bugs and followed it across the room.

The brown-haired boy could only give a glare to his teammate as he watched him leave quickly. He gave a quick pet on his dog's head to get his attention. "C'mon Akamaru, we've got our own research to do. Let's go see what flavor Chōji's chips are."

Just like that, her two teammates were gone. Hinata didn't mind that they had left her to do research. It was the kind of job that she would rather not do. And while she talked with her fellow genin in KIM, she wasn't exactly known for her social qualities in the academy.

Hinata did the best she could to keep herself preoccupied during her the wait. The heiress walked around the room trying to avoid any attention being drawn to her. She was successful with her personal mission at first until a familiar voice called out to her.

"I see you managed to pass the test, and in a very good time too."

She recognized that cocky voice in an instant. Her body slowly turned towards the call. She became frozen in fear when her lavender eyes looked upon the one person she had hoped to never see again. _Kabuto._

"Don't worry, I won't try anything while there are too many witnesses around." He pushed his glasses up along the bridge of his nose. He gave her one of his sly smiles and leaned closer to whisper in her ear. "Just know that the next time we meet, no one is going to be able to protect you. Not even your little blond friend Naruto."

"Get away from her." A small bark from Akamaru followed after his master's voice.

"I still have a score to settle with you from our last fight," Shino added along with a few buzzes from his bugs.

The silver-haired man turned around and gave a surrendering wave of his hand. "Relax guys. I only came over here to congratulate you all for passing the test. I also wanted to let you know that due to the beating you guys gave me, I won't be participating in the test anymore. You could say it's my present to you for passing."

His words made no difference to the two boys from team eight. They still stood ready for anything that might happen. Realizing that he would get nowhere with them, Kabuto simply gave his goodbye and walked out of the room. When he was gone, Kiba and Hinata let out sighs of relief.

"Man that was a close one. I'm still hurting from the other day so I don't know how I would have done," the dog owner joked. Akamaru gave a whimper to agree with him.

"I don't see why you were worried, because he wouldn't have attacked us here." Shino let his insects swarm back into his sleeve as he put his hands in his pockets.

Kiba looked at him in irritation. "What makes you think we wouldn't attack? He is after Hinata."

"The reason he attacked us in the forest is because we were separated from everyone else. He would have had a lot more trouble if he would have attacked just now." The bug user watched as a vain almost popped out of his partner's head. Before the other boy could say anything, the door swung open once again revealing one of the examiners.

"Attention everyone, please follow me to the arena so we can begin once the last team arrives." The man let out several coughs while trying his best to cover his mouth.

"Oi, how do you know there's only one team left?" Shikamaru inquired.

"What kind of ninjas would we be if we didn't know?" the instructor replied with his own question and cough.

Ino tugged at her lazy friend's shoulder. "Come on Shikamaru. We finished with the second part of the exam so now we can relax for a while."

Shikamaru let out a sigh. "You do realize that by going to the arena, we are all going to have to fight against each other. It's too troublesome to just give us a break."

"You're kidding me. We have to fight people now?" Kiba began to complain. His dog hopped out of his jacket and tugged at the pants leg. "Alright, I'm going!"

Shino had been walking towards the door until he realized that Hinata wasn't following him. He turned around only to find her staring off as if lost in her own world. "Are you coming Hinata?"

The girl had been distracted from what Kabuto had said to her. _"No one is going to be able to protect you…"_ _I wonder if I'll be able to defend myself. I could barely hold him off last time._ It took her a couple seconds to realize that her friend had said something. She gave a small smile with her apology. "Sorry, I'm on my way."

The group of three followed the others down the hall towards the battlefield. Hinata only made it half-way before a sudden worry hit her. _Why isn't Naruto-kun's team here yet? Could something have happened to them?_ She didn't have time to say anything since the instructor began to talk again when they entered the gym like room.

The instructor had walked to the middle of the room to stand with the other teachers. "I'll start explaining the rules once everyone is here so if you would all just wait a—" The instructor had to stop himself before his cough got the best of him. While he tried to get the cough under control, the doors to the arena opened to reveal team seven.

"Are we late?" Naruto called out from the doorway. The only response they got besides a cough was a motion to come over by the rest of the group. The blond wonder took this opportunity to stand by the heiress herself. When he got to her, he gave her a little nudge on the shoulder along with a cheeky smile. "Miss me?"

Hinata blushed in an instant. Her fingers started to fidget with themselves as she managed to mumble out a "yes" but was overshadowed by the instructor's voice.

"My name is Gekkō Hayate and I'm your instructor for the next part of the exam. First, I'd like to congratulate you all for passing the second test. Unfortunately, too many of you have passed and we need to thin the numbers a little bit." He blocked out some of the complaints by clearing his throat and proceeded to continue.

"Currently, there are twenty of you here. We need to cut that number in half before the final examination. What we are going to do is randomly select two names out of the people here and they will have to fight each other. The winners will continue onto the final exam. Any questions?" Hayate gave out a sigh when several hands rose up.

Boredom struck as Naruto listened to several people's questions and complaints. His eyes began to wander around looking at the other contestants. _Let's see…who all passed. Looks like all the rookies passed. A guy with big eyebrows that wears green spandex. Another guy who has the same kind of eyes as Hinata, they must be from the same clan. That sand team is there along with a team from the hidden sound village…_ His thoughts trailed off when he noticed the two men standing on the other side of the room. He quickly gave Hinata another nudge while whispering in her ear. "It's those two guys from Kabuto's team. What are they doing here?"

The Hyūga girl leaned over to see where the boy was pointing. She put a hand in front over her mouth to hide her words. "T-they passed the exam. K-Kabuto was here but forfeited his spot."

Naruto gave a slight nod of understanding. "He didn't try to do anything, did he?"

Hinata froze for a second when she saw his deep blue orbs. The look they gave off was filled with uncertainty. _"…not even your little blond friend Naruto." _Finally, she shook her head no. Before the blond could respond again, the instructor began to give out his final directions.

"We will be using a computer to randomly select who will face who. Everyone else will wait up on the upper levels so they can observe the fight. The matches will be fought until one combatant is unable to battle or until I see fit. Now, since there are no further questions, let the preliminaries begin.

* * *

"Alright Shikamaru!" Naruto pumped his fists in the air as his lazy friend walked over to him on the balcony. It caused a slight giggle from the Hyūga girl next to him. "But don't you think it would have been a little more interesting if you would have thrown a punch or something?"

The pineapple haired-boy pulled a hand out of his pocket to cover up a yawn before responding. "I didn't want to get my hands dirty."

The blond crossed his arms over his chest while giving the other boy a slight glare. "You sound like a wimp, Shikamaru. Next time throw some punches!"

His comment earned him a slap across the back of his head. "It's called strategy Naruto. It's something that you still need to learn." Sakura explained with one hand on her hip.

The ramen lover turned his head to stick his tongue out at his teammate. Before he could say anything, the computer began its roulette to decide the next match. Everyone watched in anticipation until the screen stopped on two names. A twinkle in Naruto's eye showed when he read the screen: "Uzumaki Naruto vs. Inuzuka Kiba."

"Alright Akamaru! We got an easy fight ahead of us. Let's go!" Kiba and his dog quickly jumped from the balcony to the arena floor before anyone else could wish them good luck.

"It's finally my turn. Alright!" Naruto gripped the railing even harder with his excitement. He received a few "good lucks" from the people around him which he gladly accepted. Sakura's encouragement shocked him the most. However, he never heard encouragement from the person he wanted the most. Glancing at the girl next to him caused an eyebrow raised in confusion. "Are you going to wish me luck?"

The heiress was too lost in her own thoughts to realize he had said something. _He's going to fight. What if he changes personality again? _The girl looked up to see his confused face and watched as he repeated what he had said. She wanted to tell him "good luck," but an ache in her heart caused her to whisper something different. "Are you going to change again?"

Naruto stared at her for a few moments noticing the anguish in her eyes. "Don't worry, that only happens…under certain conditions."

The response he gave wasn't as comforting to her as she had hoped. Hinata let her head sink a little bit. Just before she became lost in her own thoughts again, she felt a firm hand come to rest on her shoulder. Her head slowly rose to meet his and to her surprise, she was met with the same smile that she had scene when they were taking the written exam a few days before.

"Just watch me, everything will be fine," Naruto whispered softly to her. He watched as a smile slowly started to form on her face. Happy with her response, Naruto decided to ask her the question from before. "Now, are you going to wish me good luck?"

Hinata slowly began to nod and happily replied to him. "Good luck, Naruto-kun."

The boy's smile grew into a cheeky grin. Happy again with her words, he turned around to grab the as he prepared to jump down. "Alright, this is it. Time to –"

"Naruto-kun!" A deep voice called out to him from the side of the balcony.

The blond tried his best to keep his balance on the railing only to fall backwards on the balcony. He got up while rubbing the back of his head and saw a man in green spandex and a Jōnin vest on. A boy standing next to him also had green spandex on and had the same bowl shaped haircut as the other man. Before Naruto could say anything, the older man quickly began to speak.

"Lee here has told me of the speech you gave out during the first part of the exam. I only have one thing to say to you." The man stared down at the boy before calmly closing his eyes.

Naruto watched him carefully, unsure of how to react to the man's behavior. He gave a quick glance at his own teacher who simply shrugged his shoulders. _Some help Kakashi-Sensei is. So if that kid is Lee, then that man must be Guy-Sensei. Oh no, is he going to run me through crazy training like Lee. I can't do that now! _He looked back towards the man in front of him and watched as a single tear quickly turn a mini waterfall.

Joyous sniffs could be heard from Guy as he gave a thumb up toward the blond boy. "That was one of the most youthful speeches I have ever heard! I wanted to congratulate you on giving such an inspirational speech. I would even dare to say that it was better than any that I have given!"

"Do not say such things like that, Guy-Sensei! You have given many great youthful speeches!" Lee quickly interrupted his teacher. His own face was covered in cheerful tears while he happily shook his fist.

"Thank you, Lee." The older man brushed away his tears with one swipe of his arm. He knelt down to put a hand on to the dumbfounded boy's shoulder. "Now, I want to give you some advice for your upcoming match so listen carefully."

Naruto looked over towards Hinata to see if he could get any help from her but the only thing he saw was her quietly giggling. He turned back to face the man only to find that Lee had joined the conversation with pencil and paper in hand. "Alright, I'm listening."

"Naruto-kun, that boy over there is no ordinary ninja..." Guy looked off the balcony to see an annoyed Kiba waiting impatiently with his dog. He gazed back at Naruto with a serious look on his face. "He uses that dog as a weapon! Use this information well."

The blond simply sat there with his eyebrow raised. _Is he serious? I mean, I already knew that. _He watched as the boy next to him quickly began to scribble down on his piece of paper. Looking back at the man in front of him, he tried to think of a way to thank him for the barely helpful piece of information. "I think I'll be fine Guy-Sensei. You won't have to worry about me."

Happy to have helped, Guy stood up and gave Naruto one of his biggest smiles yet, along with his signature thumbs up pose. "You are strong willed and determined Naruto-kun. I would expect nothing less from my eternal rival's student." Upon hearing that, Kakashi immediately let out a sigh while rolling his eye.

Before Naruto could say anything else, Lee quickly shoved a piece of paper into his pocket. "Don't worry Naruto-kun. I have given you a copy of Guy-Sensei's words of wisdom to use during your battle. Now go! Show us the power of your youth!" With that said, Lee quickly pushed the ramen lover off the balcony into the arena.

The Canine like boy let out a sigh as he waited for Naruto to meet him at the center of the arena. "It's about time Naruto. I thought you were going to stay up there with your tail in between your legs."

"Getting cocky already Kiba? You don't stand a chance against me," the blond called back to him as he brushed some dust of his pant leg.

The brown-haired boy shrugged his shoulders. "Do you really think you can take down the top dog here, Naruto?" Akamaru gave a bark to complement is master.

Naruto readied a comeback only to be caught off by the other boy's words. "W-wait a second, your top dog?"

Kiba took a moment to stand strait in a boastful pose. "The one and only! You really expected someone else?"

"Alright, enough you two," Hayate interrupted. He raised his hand to signal the start of the match. "Round seven, Uzumaki Naruto verses Inuzuka Kiba. Fight!"

The brown-haired boy knelt down to pet his dog companion. "Alright Akamaru, you know what to do."

Naruto watched as the little dog charged towards him. _What's this little guy going to do? He's just a puppy._ He looked back at his opponent in time to notice him performing several hand seals. Almost instantly, the small puppy burst into a cloud of smoke. A second later, Kiba rushed out of the fog to swipe at Naruto with his clawed hand. The blond quickly blocked the attack only to receive a punch in the stomach from a second Kiba, bringing him to his knees.

"Still think your good enough to beat me?" the other boy mocked.

The blond slowly pushed himself back to his feet. "A punch like that from a mutt like you barely even tickled me."

Kiba gave a glare in annoyance towards the boy. He quickly brought up his hands to his mouth and let out a sharp whistle. The signal caused the Kiba clone to stand down from its fighting stance.

Naruto watched carefully as his opponent ran towards him. When the brown-haired boy closed the distance between the two, he jumped in the air to prepare for his attack. _So he's going to attack from the air. Easy enough to—_

Before he could finish the thought, his opponent's clone appeared on the floor next to him. It quickly swept his leg to hit Naruto's, causing the blond to fall over on his chest. Right as Naruto hit the ground, Kiba landed a powerful kick on his back causing the blond to grunt in pain.

Kiba chuckled as he got up noticing no movement from his opponent. He began to walk towards the railing with Akamaru when he called out to the examiner, "You might as well call it now. He won't get up after an attack like that."

Before Hayate had a chance to take a look at him, Naruto began to move again. He struggled to push himself up since the blow had knocked the wind out of him. Managing to stand up, he let out his own little chuckle. "Already walking away, scaredy cat? That's no way to treat the future Hokage."

The canine user turned around, scowling at the other boy. "Fine. We'll pick it up a notch, you Ho-ka-ge wanna be." He quickly dug in his pack, pulling out two smoke bombs and tossed them to the ground at his opponent's feet. A thick, purple smoke surrounded the center of the arena which provided excellent cover for Kiba's attacks. "_Gatsūga!_"

Naruto didn't know what to expect. The visibility of the dense fog was only a few feet in front of him. He would have been completely caught off guard if it wasn't for the faint humming of a spinning drill rushing towards him. The boy managed to jump out of the way to avoid any serious damage, but the drill still managed to hit the side of his arm.

One attack after another, the two drills from Kiba and Akamaru continued their relentless assault on the blond. None of the attacks hit him directly; instead the attacks started to look as if they were aiming for the boy's arms and legs. The fight had begun to draw out a lot longer than it should have and Naruto started to realize that. _They're teamwork is almost perfect. Now they are just toying with me. I need to think of a way to confuse them._

After several minutes of continuous strikes, the purple smoke began to disappear in the air which signaled for Kiba and his partner to stop attacking. The brown-haired boy couldn't help but chuckle. "Good job, Akamaru. Let's see what's left of ...wait, what?"

Two exact copies of Kiba stood in front of the dumbfounded boy. The real Kiba glared at the two for several seconds until a familiar scent from one of the clones hit his nose. He turned towards the other clone with a smirk on his face. "Think you could fool me."

With lighting quick speed, the canine user lunged at his clone, throwing a punch directly at its face. The force of the attack sent the copy flying away. Before the clone could hit the ground, it burst into a cloud of white smoke. Instead of revealing a beaten up Naruto, a small, white puppy flew out of the cloud and landed on the hard cement floor.

"There's…there's no way I confused the scents," Kiba's voice was barely audible. His eyes were wide in shock and his mouth hung open in confusion. He turned around to face his other copy. "How dare you make me attack my friend!"

With another quick lunge, the boy punched his other clone sending it flying. However, duplicate burst into a cloud of smoke revealing another small, white dog. The sight of seeing his beloved companion hurt from his own fist caused his stomach to drop. "N-no way. I-Impossible."

The first dog burst into a cloud of smoke again, revealing a slightly bruised Naruto. The blond wiped away some blood from his mouth while giving a slight chuckle. "Not really. The only thing more annoying than two Kiba's is three. I may have gotten hit in the process, but it was worth it to take out your pet."

The canine user quickly went over to his partner's side to check its status. He brushed his hand along the dog's back while whispering into its ear. "Just rest up buddy. I'll take it from here." The boy turned back towards Naruto with anger in his eyes. Forming several hand seals, the boy began to take on his dog like appearance. "_Shikyaku no Jutsu!_"he shouted.

Naruto watched as his opponent shifted his fighting stance to mimic a dog. _With Akamaru out of the way, this fight will be mine once I pull off my secret move._ But before he could complete his hands to form a seal, Kiba appeared in front of him almost instantly. With one swift punch, the blond was sent flying into the arena wall.

"I'd think again if plan on using any jutsu. I won't give you the chance." Kiba got down on all fours and started to charge again.

Naruto barely had time to recover from the previous attack before he noticed his opponent's next assault. He barely managed to jump out of the way from the initial swipe but Kiba's claw-like nails tore through the sleeve of his jacket and scraped the side of his arm.

Kiba never let up. He quickly swung his leg beneath Naruto, causing him to trip on the ground. His sharp hand quickly came crashing down towards the boy's chest. The blond managed to roll away before his opponent's attack connected with him. The force was so strong that it cracked the cement floor on impact instead of Naruto himself.

Naruto quickly pushed himself up to ready himself in a defensive stance. The constant attacks from Kiba slowly began to wear the boy down. His arm stung in pain from earlier while his breathing became more labored from exhaustion. _He's attacking a lot faster than before and not giving me any time to summon clones. I need to find a way to distract him.

* * *

_

"Do you think Naruto can win, Shikamaru? I mean, Kiba is way out of his league," Ino questioned the boy next to her.

Shikamaru glanced over at her to see if she was being serious. "As much as I hate to say it, Naruto is pretty much screwed. Kiba is constantly staying on the offense, which leaves little room for Naruto to attack. And as an Inuzuka, Kiba specializes in close combat where as Naruto, well I'm not sure what he can do."

Ino looked back towards the two fighting. Naruto was still on the run from Kiba and the situation didn't seem to be improving. The blond girl rested her arms on the railing while letting out a sigh which didn't go unnoticed by her teammate.

"Wait, Ino do you actually want Naruto to win?" Chōji asked. His comment caused Shikamaru to raise an eyebrow towards the girl.

"N-no it's not that!" a flustered Ino retaliated. "It's just…ever since Hinata called us out on Naruto, I've been thinking about how mean we've been to him."

"You mean how bad you've been mean to him," Shikamaru was quick to point out.

Ino responded with one of her death glares. "Fine, how bad I've been to him. But at least I feel bad about it. The forehead hasn't even changed a bit!"

"Come on Naruto! Kick Kiba's ass!" Sakura shouted a little ways further down the railing. She completely ignored the three puzzled looks from the members of team ten. "Do your best Naruto!"

Hinata watched on as her friend and teammate fought each other. She couldn't help but worry for Naruto's sake. Her heart cringed as she saw Naruto take a hit to his leg. Turning the other way, her eyes settled upon Shino, who had been quietly watching the fight. The girl hadn't intended to say anything to him, but the sudden impulse to speak took over her. "Ano…Shino-kun, do you think Naruto-kun can win?"

The boy's gaze never moved from the battlefield. "Kiba has the upper hand right now, because he has figured out how to stop Naruto from attacking. Unless Naruto can think of a way to counter Kiba's attacks, he will most likely lose this match."

"Oh," Hinata's heart sank lower after his comment. She turned her attention back towards the match with doubtful thoughts in mind.

Shino noticed the change in her tone of voice. He brought up one hand to adjust his glasses before speaking again. "You like him, don't you?"

The Hyūga was shocked by his words at first, but after realizing that no one else heard, she turned to face him again. A blush came over her cheeks as she slightly nodded to her teammate. "I-it's just, I-I've gotten to know h-him the past few w-weeks and we've started t-to become good friends."

The bug-user watched as she fidgeted with her fingers while trying to hide the redness on her cheeks. "Don't you think you should be cheering him on then?"

Hinata looked up in confusion at him. "Eh? B-but he's fighting Kiba-kun. I would feel bad if I were to cheer for Naruto-kun and not Kiba-kun."

Shino took a step closer towards his female teammate and put a hand on her shoulder. "I think Kiba will understand."

The Heiress gave him another look for assurance until a smile appeared on her face. Once again, she focused her attention back on the match with a new-found resolve. After clearing her voice, she tried her best to muster up courage for a cheer. "Go…go Naruto-kun!"

* * *

Naruto took steps backwards to dodge punch after punch. His hand quickly caught one of his opponent's arm mid swipe. Using as much force as he could, the blond threw Kiba over his shoulder. Thinking he had time to spare, Naruto brought up his hands to form his favorite hand seal. His jutsu was cut short when Kiba knocked him away with another quick attack. _He's not letting up at all. I don't know how much more I can take of this. _

The brown-haired boy began to charge again at him. "This is where it ends for you Naruto!" He began to spin in circles forming his human drill until his canine-like ears picked up on a soft, unsuspecting voice.

"Go…go Naruto-kun!"

Kiba immediately stopped in his tracks to look up at the rafters. "Hinata? Why the heck are you cheering for him? I'm on your team!"

The Hyūga looked down and fidgeted with her fingers not wanting to answer his question.

Naruto had paused from his defensive position to look up at the girl with a smile. _Thank you, Hinata._ Looking back at his opponent, his eyes were now filled with the determination he needed. "_Kage Bunshin no Jutsu_!" Four Naruto clones appeared from clouds of smoke.

Kiba's eyes widened when he heard the blond call out his jutsu. _Crap, I let my guard down!_ He turned around to find himself surrounded. Before he had time to think, one of the clones from the side threw a punch which connected with his face.

The boy staggered to the side only to be hit by another one of Naruto's clones. This clone's attack was a kick which launched Kiba in the air. The other copies all joined in to kick him higher and higher while they each shouted out a different part of their attack. "U..zu..ma..ki…"

By this time, the canine user had been in the air for several seconds. Just when he thought it was over, the real Naruto appeared above him preparing to attack. With a swift motion, the blond brought down his leg against Kiba's stomach, sending him flying back towards the floor. "…Naruto Rendan!"

The brown-haired boy hit the ground hard leaving several cracks at the spot of impact. The force of the hit had caused him to cough up some blood while he laid there motionless on the ground.

Naruto landed right afterwards, completely exhausted from trying his new attack. His clones dispersed into clouds of smoke after no sign of movement from his opponent. _Did I win?_

Hayate walked over to the still boy on the ground to check his vital signs. Seeing that he was unable to fight, the instructor signaled the end of the match after he controlled his cough. "Winner, Uzumaki Naruto."

"He-he won!" Shikamaru said shockingly.

"Ha, and you thought he couldn't win." Ino replied with a cheerful laugh. Her two teammates could only sigh in response.

"Alright Naruto! You beat that dog boy into next week!" Sakura cheered as she pumped her fists.

Hinata watched as Naruto ran back up the steps to the balcony. _Yes, he won!_ At first, she thought he was going to go celebrate with the others, but instead walked over to her. With his hands behind his head and a big smile plastered on his face, he knelt in closer to whisper with her.

"I heard you," Naruto said quietly so no one else could hear.

The Hyūga face started to turn red almost instantly. "W-w-what?"

"I heard you cheer for me." The boy's smile seemed to get even bigger the more he teased her.

Hinata tried to hide her embarrassment by looking away from him. Her tiny hands brought out one of her ointments containers from her pack. "H-h-here you g-go. Y-you look h-hurt."

The blond chuckled as he gladly received her gift. "Thanks Hinata. You know, you've given me so many of these, I might as well start making a collection."

She wasn't sure how much redder her face could get from him. Luckily, the computer screen started its roulette for the next match, drawing attention away from her. The room went silent as they waited for its decision. The final beep signaled that it had chosen the two contenders. Hinata looked up to see the screen which caused all the redness in her face to vanish, leaving her pale like a ghost. "Hyūga Hinata verses Hyūga Neji."

Fear began to overtake her as Neji quietly walked past her with cold eyes. Just his look was enough to make her shiver. Her breathing started to increase at the thought of actually fighting him.

Naruto watched the boy with long brown hair pass him to the stairs of the balcony. _He's got the same eyes as Hinata, yet his seem so...different._ Looking back at Hinata, he could tell something was wrong with her. "Hey, you ok?"

The girl didn't respond to him. She could only watch as her opponent walked to his starting position on the floor. The words of her father ran through her mind. _"I expect to hear a positive result from your performance." Of all the people to fight now, it had to be Neji. I've never beaten him in a sparring match before, there's no way I'll win. And if I lose, there's no way I'll be able to face my father._ Before she knew it, her feet began walking her towards the arena floor.

The blond boy watched as his friend slowly walked away to her match. _What could have happened to her? _While keeping his eyes on her, he made his way back towards where his own teammate was standing.

"Good job, Naruto!" Sakura cheered on, however her words got no reaction from him like she had expected. "Hey Naruto, are you ok?"

His deep blue eyes watched the two Hyūga carefully on the ground. "Something's not right with her. She wouldn't respond to me when I talked with her."

"Hinata is under a lot of pressure right now," Shino said, which caused the two to turn their heads at him. "She is lost in her thoughts, because this match is of great importance to her."

Normally, Naruto would have would have been shocked by the boy's sudden words, but instead grew more curious. "You mean it's more than just a match for the finals?"

Shino adjusted his glasses. "That is correct. Her opponent is Hyūga Neji of the branch family and even though they are from the same clan, he holds a certain animosity towards anyone of the main family. As to why? I cannot answer, because Hinata does not want to burden her teammates with her problems."

Naruto gave a nod in understanding and watched as his friend on the arena floor tried her best to not directly look in her opponents eyes. _Hang in there, Hinata.

* * *

_

Hinata tried her best to calm her breathing. _I just need to relax. It's just like another sparing match with him, not anything clan related. As long as it stays like this, I should be fine._

"Give up," the boy in front of her exclaimed. "You are not suited to become a ninja."

His harsh words struck Hinata deeply. The worried expression in her eyes intensified as she looked at him. _What? Not suited to become a ninja?_

"You are too kind and seek harmony while avoiding trouble. You follow other people's ideas because you have no self-confidence." The glare from Neji grew as he said each word. It caused Hinata to advert her gaze towards the floor.

"You feel inferior to everyone and even thought it would be alright to remain a Genin. However, in order to enter the Chunin Exam, there needs to be three people on a team and if you didn't accept, then you would be holding back your own teammates. In reality, you entered this exam unwillingly."

Neji's words seemed to pick her apart as she stood there listening to every word he had to say until his last words caught her attention.

_**i_like_noodles:**__ then you need to have the courage to change yourself._

_But I didn't enter the exam unwillingly. It was…because of Naruto-kun. _Hinata looked back at her cousin with a plea in her eyes. "T-that's not true! I-I just wanted to c-change myself, so I willingly…" her slight burst of determination ran out as Neji remained unphased by her words.

The long, brown-haired boy gave a slight chuckle at her outbreak. "You really are a spoiled child of the main family. People cannot change no matter how hard they try."

Hinata could only look at him with fear in her eyes. "What…?"

"A failure will always be a failure. Their personality and power cannot change. That is why there are terms like 'elites' and 'failures' exist. Everyone judges you by your abilities, appearance and personality. Just like how you are from the main family and I am from the branch family can never change." Neji knew exactly how to break her spirit.

* * *

Naruto looked down at the two Hyūga. "What's wrong with this guy? A failure will always be a failure. Who the hell does he think he is?"

"Neji is last year's number one rookie. If anyone has a right to boast, then it is him," Lee added while keeping a watchful eye on Neji.

Naruto turned around to look the other boy in the face. He gripped the ointment container with enough force to put a small crack in it. "That still doesn't give him the right to label someone as a failure. Everyone has the right to prove that they are worth something!"

"Just calm down and watch the fight Naruto," Shikamaru said as he and his teammates grouped up with the others. They all peered down to see a calm Neji studying his opponent.

Neji watched as Hinata slowly began to feel more frightened. With his Byakugan eyes activated, he could easily tell what she was feeling. "The way you move your eyes under my gaze just proves how scared you are. You are recalling a past event, possibly sparing matches that we have had? Your eyes moved once again to the bottom right to show that you are imagining pain both physically and mentally. In your mind, you already know how this fight will end. It is a prediction that you will lose!"

Hinata stood in shock. The slight feeling of her legs wanting to give away came over her. _How does he know? Why is he doing this? I don't know how much more of it I can take._ She put a hand in front of her face to hide how fast she was breathing.

Naruto, with his full attention directed at the conversation below, gripped the railing and ointment container even harder than before. _Why is he doing this? _His fist tightened once again leaving another crack in the medical bottle.

"You put your hand in front of your mouth; it proves that you want to keep distance between us. You're trying to hide what you really feel from me, because everything I say is the truth…" Neji intensified his stare. "…The way your hand touches your mouth shows that you are trying to calm your nervousness. It proves that all I have said is true. It proves that you cannot change—"

"You can!" Naruto shouted. His words caught the attention of everyone around him, including the two on the floor. "You can't go around just labeling people like that! Beat the crap out of him, Hinata! Don't just stand there and do nothing! If you want to change, then show him that you've got the confidence to do so!"

Hinata could only watch in awe as her friend cheered her on. _Naruto-kun… "You need to have the courage to change yourself…Have the confidence to take whatever comes your way head on."_ It had finally come to the point she had feared the most, but with Naruto's supporting her all the way, she felt like she could take on the whole world. …_thank you._

Neji gave a slight glance towards the blond in the bleachers. "It's Uzumaki Naruto, right? I've heard many things about your failures. I guess they can say that birds of a feather flock together."

Without even realizing it, Naruto's fist shattered the ointment bottle, covering his hand with the smooth liquid. He would have jumped of the railing at the boy but his other friends restrained him the best they could. Giving up in the struggle, he shouted another cheer for Hinata. "Kick his ass, Hinata!"

Neji let out a sigh. _He's such a pest_. He turned back towards his opponent only to be surprised by her new resolve. Instead of seeing a scared girl on the brink of forfeiting, he saw a Hyūga filled with determination.

The kunoichi closed her eyes as she started making several hand seals. In her mind, she recalled Naruto's inspirational speech from the first part of the Chunin Exam. _"I'm not going to run away! I'm not scared and I won't go back on my word. That's my nindo."_ _I made a promise to never run away just like Naruto-kun because that is my nindo! Byakugan!_ Quickly taking on the traditional Hyūga combat stance, she called out to her opponent. "Neji-nii-san, let us fight.

"_Byakugan!"_ Neji quickly took on the same fighting stance as Hinata. "Very well, Hinata-sama. I am not responsible for my actions."

The two Hyūga stared each other down in preparation. Seeing how they were finally ready to fight, Hayate cleared his throat before raising a hand in the air. "Round eight, Hyūga Hinata verses Hyūga Neji. Fight!"

Both fighters charged each other at the exact same time, but it was Hinata to first go on the offensive. She threw and open palmed hand at the center of Neji's chest but he quickly deflected it with his own arm. Even though the punch didn't connect, a blue stream of chakra shot out from the end of her palm like a firework which wowed the audience.

Hinata continued to attack with open hands while Neji did his best to dodge each attack. Because of the similar fighting stance, he was able to easily how she would approach him. Both their feet moved in exact unison to counter each other. After a few dodged strikes from his opponent, he decided it was his turn to attack.

Neji may have been the number one rookie from last year and also from the same clan as Hinata, but there was one thing he didn't have, her flexibility. She could easily predict how to dodge his attacks due to the same fighting style which allowed her flexibility to shine. Dodging an open palm to her right shoulder and then left. She could even bend backwards with enough speed to dodge any attacks at her face.

They both continued their barrages of blocks and parries while the blue chakra shot out over the battlefield. If you would have asked anyone in the audience, they would have said the fight seemed rehearsed. The two fought like this for several minutes until Hinata went to attack again. She had thrown her open palm towards Neji's arm and while he dodged it almost effortlessly, this time he had left his stomach wide open.

_He's open!_ Hinata took the opportunity given to her and took a step back to prepare a powerful lunge at her opponent. Her right arm quickly swooped in front of Neji. The boy tried his best to move his exposed stomach out of the way and as a result, only suffered a small amount from the Jūken attack. It caused the shinobi to jump back into a defensive like stance.

* * *

"Did she hit him?" Sakura asked while leaning over the railing for a better look.

"No she missed. Her attack wasn't deep enough and only grazed him," Naruto assured to her.

"Actually Naruto-kun, you're wrong. The attack will hurt even if it just nicks you," Lee concluded to both of them.

Both Naruto and Sakura looked at Lee with confusion, but Naruto wanted to hear more of what he had to say. "What do you mean? How is a punch supposed to hurt even if it doesn't hit?"

"The Hyūga have a special hand to hand combat style that is different from mine. While I attack the outside of a person with my physical attacks, they are able to attack the internal organs with the use of chakra," Lee responded without leaving his eyes from the battle.

Naruto was having a hard enough time trying to watch the fight and listen at the same time. He had to keep switching between cheering Hinata and hearing the green spandex boy's explaination. "But how can they hurt the organs? It's not like they can see them."

Lee had become too engrossed in the battle so Shino decided to answer. "It is because of their Byakugan that allows them to see the chakra circulatory system which is closely intertwined with organs of the body. They expel chakra into the circulatory system which in turn hurts the organ it's wrapped around. They can also cut off a person's access to chakra by blocking it with their own."

The blond nodded his head in understanding and went back to watching the close fight. "Come on Hinata!"

Both Hyūgas were starting to show signs of fatigue. Breathing became a little more difficult for Hinata as she neared her limit. After hearing the encouragement from Naruto, she decided to charge for another attack, causing Neji to do the same. The two raced towards each other with no turning back. When they finally met, each of their hands collided with the other's chest which caused chakra to shoot out of their backs.

"She got him!" Naruto shouted as loud as he could. The thought of Hinata beating Neji was all he could think of until he noticed that neither Hyūga had moved after that attack.

Hinata stood still while looking Neji in the eyes. The whole room had gone quiet after the two connected with each other. She looked down to see that her hand had been stopped short of his chest while the tip of his hand was touching right where her heart was. The only thing she could feel was the faint sound of her heartbeat get louder and louder until it something seemed to clench her heart tightly. The feeling caused her to cough up some blood onto the arena floor.

Neji looked at the kunoichi with a cocky smile. "I guess this is all the main family can do."

_I'm not done yet._ Hinata slapped away his arm and quickly tried to throw another attack at his face. However, Neji saw through it, grabbing her arm before it reached him and stabbed it with his index and middle finger. The effects of the Byakugan could be seen fading from her eyes. Neji slammed another open palmed hand against her which sent her flying away.

"Hinata-sama, now you can truly see the difference in our strength. The strength between an elite and failure. You were destined to regret this match once you chose not to run away. I'll say it one more time, give up," Neji spoke with confidence while watching his tired opponent on the ground.

Her legs felt like they had no strength left in them but she still forced herself to get up. Her breathing grew heavier as she tried to stand. "I'm not…going to take back…my words." She finally stood the best she could to face her cousin. Looking above him, she saw Naruto watching her intently. The simple thought of Naruto never giving up or running way was what gave her the strength to continue fighting. It even caused her to smile up towards him. "That is my nindo, Neji-nii-san."

Naruto watched as Hinata struggled to recover the best she could. He was shocked at how willing she was to continue their fight. "I never knew Hinata was this incredible."

"She is very similar to you, Naruto," Shino responded.

His comment caught Sakura's attention. "Come to think of it, she's always watched you Naruto."

"What?" Naruto questioned her but she never responded. He looked back towards Hinata on the ground and watch as she prepared herself to attack again. But before the girl could, she gripped at her chest trying to withstand the pain. It proved no use after she coughed up more blood, causing Naruto worry for her.

Ino was the first to question about her friend. "Is Hinata going to be alright, Shikamaru?"

"To be honest, it was never a fair fight from the start. Neji most likely sealed off her chakra so she can't do anything to him," Shikamaru said sadly.

Naruto heard every word he said and even though the boy was right, he still felt that there was a chance for her to win. Shikamaru's words made him want to cheer even harder. Right now, she needed all the encouragement she could get. "Hinata! Do your best!"

The Hyūga girl gave a slight glance towards her friend on the railing and she couldn't help but smile. His words were an inspiration to her. Even a simple cheer was enough to bring her fighting spirit back. It gave her the energy to reactivate her Byakugan and charge forward headstrong. Once again, the two locked in combat. _Naruto-kun, I've watched you for such a long time. I used to question why…but now, I think I finally understand. _

Hinata's attacks were easily deflected no matter how hard she tried to hit her opponent. Neji blocked her slaps with his open palm creating loud claps with each collision. Although her fighting stance grew sloppier with fatigue, she still managed to dodge several of his attacks nimbly. _When I watch you, I can feel more courage inside of me. That even I can accomplish anything I try. That even I am worth something. If only I could tell you._

Even though the kunoichi couldn't send chakra through her palm, she still tried her best to fight back. She blocked a punch to her right. Noticing that her cousin was open, she gave a quick lunge to hit him in the chest but was punished with an open handed upper cut to her chin. She barely kept her balance but the impact caused her to slide back across the arena floor. _And now you're the one who is watching me. Just knowing that makes me want to try even harder. _

The blow only delayed her for a second before she charged him again. Aiming right for his chest, she poised to strike. _I wonder. In your eyes, have I been able to change?_ The moment she neared Neji, he immediately countered with his own attack once again at her heart. The blue wave a chakra shot out from her back, freezing her instantly. Pain rapidly shot through her body, causing her to lose her Byakugan while coughing up more blood. The strength in her legs abandoned her, leaving her to fall face down on the floor.

"You are such a stubborn person. Why even bother fighting when your attacks would have no effect? It's over now." Neji began to make his exit back towards the balcony.

The examiner walked over to Hinata's motionless body. Even he felt sorry for what she went through and figured it would be best to end the match for her safety. "Considering she cannot fight anymore, the winner—"

"Don't call it!" Naruto shouted as loud as he could and received several questionable glares as a response.

"Naruto! What the heck are you doing? Can't you see that she fainted…?" Sakura's voice trailed off when she noticed her teammate let out a slight grin. Her emerald eyes widened when she saw a weak Hinata struggle to push herself up off the ground. It became apparent to everyone in that room that even though Hinata was down, she was definitely not out.

Hinata's arms quivered as they gave one last push to help her stand. Her legs wobbled a little due to the sudden weight shift, but they managed to keep her standing. One of her arms tightly clenched her side in pain as she tried to calm her breathing. Several trails of blood could be seen leaking from her mouth when she looked Neji in the eye. _I can't show an unsightly scene in front of the person I admire…not when he believes so much in me. I have to do my best._

Her look caught Neji off guard. "Why did you stand up? Do you want to die?" he was practically shouting.

The Hyūga kunoichi took a few small steps forward. "I…can still...fight."

Neji could only grind his teeth at her acts. "Why are you acting tough? You can barely stand. I can tell with these eyes that it is your destiny to lose. You're cursed and powerless and for that you blame yourself. People cannot change, it is their destiny. Stop this suffering and let the match go."

Hinata could only shake her head, creating a confused look on her opponent. "You are wrong, Neji-nii-san…because I can see that you are suffering more than me. You are confused from the fate of the main and branch families."

All his anger towards Hinata grew tenfold at that moment. Within a few seconds, he had gone from calm to furious. Her words created a chain reaction in his mind causing him to lose control. Neji activated his Byakugan and charged forward, only this time with a killing intent. Before he could reach the girl, a burst of smoke appeared around him and the examiner along with three of the Jounin teachers stopped his assault.

"Neji, you promised me that you wouldn't argue about the head family," Guy lectured his student.

The Hyūga shinobi cursed under his breath. "Why did all the Jounins come out? Does the main family get special privileges here too?"

Before any more could be said, Hinata clenched her chest in pain again as she coughed up more blood onto the ground. It caused Kurenai to rush over to her side immediately. "Take it easy Hinata," Kurenai said as she slowly rested her student on the floor.

Naruto had seen enough. He was too worried for his friend to just stand around and not do anything. He quickly jumped down from the balcony to see if there was any way he could help. The idea that Hinata lost didn't fully sink in until he saw her up close. "Hinata, are you ok?"

The tired girl had to fight with herself just to keep her eyes open. She could barely talk above a whisper, but there was one thing she just had to ask him. "N-Naruto-kun…was I…able to…" Her eyes lost the battle to stay open while her voice gave out before she could finish. _…change?_

The blond was caught onto her last words. _Able to what? What did she mean by that?_ His fist tightened as he turned around to look at the boy responsible for this. "This is all your fault."

Neji returned the boy's glare with one of his own. "You shouldn't have encouraged her. A drop out is a drop out. You will never be able to change."

Naruto didn't care what he had to say, the only thing he had on his mind was getting payback for his friend. He cocked his fist back and began to charge the boy. He only made it several feet before his teacher stopped him.

"Settle down, Naruto. Fighting won't get you anywhere right now." Kakashi said while holding the blonds fist back.

Seeing there was no way to win, Naruto let his fist drop to his side. Looking down at the ground, he noticed a small spill of Hinata's blood on the ground. Kneeling over, he slid a hand through it. _I promise you Hinata…_ Balling up his hand, he stood up to face the Hyūga shinobi. By holding his fist up towards the boy, several drops of blood began to drip towards the ground. "I will defeat you, for Hinata."

Neji looked at the boy with a cocky smile. "That does not frighten me."

"We need the medic team over here now!" Kurenai shouted.

The older woman's urgent words caught Naruto's full attention. He quickly turned around to see her examining the quiet girl on the ground. At first, worry had overtaken him, but now his worry grew into fear of what might happen next. He wanted to help her so badly, but there was nothing he could. The only thing he could think of was the caring image of her handing him a little ointment bottle like she usually did for him. It caused a tear to crawl down his face.

The three on call doctors rushed over to the Hyūga on the ground. "Put her on the stretcher quick."

"Her heart-beat is irregular. She's going through ventricular fibrillation," Kurenai exclaimed to give the doctors an idea of what they were dealing with.

"At that rate, she won't last ten minutes," one of them concluded.

"This is bad, let's get her to the ER quick," another responded while resting the Hyūga girl on the stretcher.

"Right." The three medics picked up Hinata and rushed her out of the arena doors. Naruto stood there, stunned as he tried to understand what they were saying. _She won't last ten minutes? That can't be right. There has to be something I can do to help._ He didn't have time to wonder about what was happening. Quickly, wiping away his tears, he quickly ran for the exit while ignoring the calls from his Genin friends.

* * *

The blond boy managed to catch up with the doctors further down the hallway before they made it to the emergency room. Just the sight of seeing the almost lifeless girl caused his stomach to drop.

The doctors hadn't noticed him and continued to talk about the subject at hand. "You think we should do a scan on her to make sure we know what the problem is?"

"Not until we get her stable. If we don't do that first, she is as good as gone."

Naruto almost tripped after hearing their words. Regaining his balance, he ran next to one of the medics. "Excuse me. Is she going to be alright?"

"I can't feel her pulse at all," one of the medics shouted.

"It's from the cardiac arrest. We need to hurry, we are running low on time."

_Cardiac arrest?_ The blond felt even more terrified. "Can any of you answer me? Is she going to be alright?"

One of the doctors ran ahead to hold the emergency room doors open. "Take her to room B4. It should be the next open one."

"Right!" the other two rushed the unconscious girl inside.

Naruto couldn't take the suspense anymore. "Someone answer me damn it!" He was stopped short of the entrance by one of the doctors.

"Sorry kid, only doctors beyond this point." The man quickly shut the door after him and ran down the hall to catch up with the others.

Naruto stood outside the doors frozen in time with a distressed look on his face. His hand slowly slid down the shut door when he realized there was nothing left he could do. He could only watch through the door window as the medics carried Hinata further down the hallway and eventually out of sight. _I couldn't do anything…

* * *

_

Chapter 11 is a go! Hope the story didn't sound too much like the show. I tried to make my own little adjustments here and there too it. Never really did like Naruto winning because of a fart. -_- Sorry about the long wait for the chapter but school got the best of me. This semester sucks. :( Also, KIM is coming back next chapter! I don't know if anyone is really excited for it, but I figured I would let you all know.

And for the poll, people voted that they want to see some other pairings. Don't worry for those who voted no! I'm only doing hints at other pairs so it's more likely to just be for comical reasons, not go off on a tangent about the day in the life of NejiTen or something like that. My true alignment is with NaruHina. :D

A special thanks again to Blondie89 and Someday-Known for looking over some parts of this chapter. I should just copy and paste this every time since they help quite a bit. :P Thanks again!

Review if you would like. I like reading them and I'm crossing my fingers to see if I'll break 200 from this chapter. If it doesn't, maybe I'll have Sakura get slapped again. People respond to that, lol.

Lastly, I have good news! I saved a bunch of money...I mean, I made a NaruHina AMV! The link is in my profile if you would like to see. The song is When You Were Young by The Killers. It's my first so it's nothing amazing but I like how it turned out. Go ahead and watch it!

Until next time,

-Bench


	12. Master of Disguise

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. Never have, never will.

A/N: I'm soooooo sorry for this late update! I've had a very stressful summer to say the least so it's taken my quite a while to actually type the whole thing. I hope this chapter will make up for the long wait. :x

* * *

Chapter 12: Master of Disguise

Clouds had begun to form in such a way that everyone could tell rain was coming. The atmosphere had become moist, causing the villagers to increase their daily pace. The marketplace was affected the most with the flooded with people rushing around, trying to finish their chores. The only one not hurrying about was a blond boy who walked down the street at his own pace.

Naruto tried his best to avoid the mass of people, however his efforts were in vain as he kept getting pushed and shoved in almost every direction. Normally, the blond would have said something back, but he had more important things on his mind. Naruto had spent the whole night trying to get in to see Hinata despite the harsh warnings from the doctors. It wasn't until Kakashi had shown up that he finally stopped trying.

* * *

(flashback)

"Come on, you have to let me see her. I'm her friend!" Naruto was pleading with a man in a white coat that was blocking the door.

"How many times do I have to tell you, kid? No one except close family is allowed to see her."

"So what! It's basically the same thing! Now let me in!" The blond boy pushed against the man but it proved no use. He tried again until another voice called out from down the hall.

"I'm sorry sir, is there a problem here?" Kakashi strolled on over from the other side of the hallway.

The man could only let out a disgruntled sigh. "This kid has been trying to get in the ER even though we've told him he can't come in. His constant shouting is also upsetting the other doctor with their work. If you're his teacher then please take care of him."

Kakashi watched as the doctor stormed back into the emergency room. Looking down at the boy, he could tell something was bothering him. "You know Sasuke is just down the hall. You should go see him since you're his teammate."

"I don't care about that Teme! I need to see if there is anything I can do for Hinata!"

The older man could only slightly chuckle at the boy's determination. "I'm sure the doctors are doing everything they can to make her better. Now why don't you go home and get some rest?"

"I want to see how she is doing! If you'll excuse me, I'm going to go back in there and find her." Naruto's advance towards the door was stopped when Kakashi grabbed his arm.

"Stop Naruto. There's nothing you can do to help her right now." The teacher's stern voice brought the boy to a halt.

The whole area around them grew quiet. Naruto wanted to continue, but his legs remained frozen in place. _Nothing I can do?_

Realizing that he had chosen the wrong words, Kakashi slowly turned his student around only to see a boy struck with fear. The man let out a small sigh. "Look Naruto, what I'm trying to say is that by you causing a ruckus around here, the doctors aren't able to do their best for helping Hinata. If you would just give them some time and come back later, I'm sure they would let you see her."

Naruto could only stare at the ground in grief as a single tear slid down his cheek. "Is she gonna be ok, Kakashi-sensei?"

Kakashi crouched down to meet his student at eye level. By placing a hand on the worried boy's shoulder, he was able to gain his full attention. "I happen to know that two of Konoha's finest medical-nins are working to help her right now. She will be fine, I promise."

The man's smile may have been hidden underneath a mask, but Naruto could still tell it was there. Upon hearing his sensei's words, he quickly wiped his face dry of tears and gave a quick nod. "Ok."

* * *

The rickety door slowly swung open in Naruto's apartment that cold afternoon. The blond boy walked in with an emotionless expression as he shut the door behind him. Kakashi's words could only keep the boy in high spirits for so long. He gazed over at the couch and was able to picture Hinata eating ramen with him during that stormy night.

Naruto collapsed into the chair that was facing the couch. His azure eyes carefully looked forward as his mind began to play his memories like a movie in front of him. There was Naruto bringing two bowls of ramen into the living room, one for him and one for Hinata. He quickly dug into his meal while she sat there next to him. She questioned him and then they both talked about the subject at hand.

Now came the part where he quickly encircled the girl with his arms. The little "eep" from Hinata caused the real Naruto to let out a chuckle. The memory began to fade away when he watched himself fall asleep after Hinata rested herself on his shoulder. He would never forget that night where the two had been together. The boy could only sigh as he continued to worry about his friend's condition. He was at a loss of what to do next.

A cool breeze flew in through the window, causing several doors in his house to open and close. The wind finally built up enough momentum to slam the bedroom door shut, which brought back Naruto from his daze. The boy looked over at his door to his room with a half-hearted smirk. "I guess I could see what everyone else is doing. It will probably give me a change to clear my head with what's happened."

* * *

**flower_power: **so you haven't heard anything from Naruto at all?

The kunoichi scratched the top of her head, hoping it would allow her to remember something.

**Cherry_Blossom:** I haven't seen him on KIM since before the second test.

**flower_power: **what about you Shika, anything?

**cloud_watcher: **you make it sound like I watch over him 24/7

She could only hope he was telling the truth.

**flower_power:** well have you?

**cloud_watcher:** I haven't heard anything

**Cherry_Blossom: **I stopped by his apartment last night around 8. The lights weren't even on so either he went to bed early or didn't come home at all.

The chime of a person joining the room managed to catch her attention.

-_Top_Dog- has joined the chat._

**Top_Dog:** hello ladies and gentlemen

**Cherry_Blossom:** Bah, it's only Kiba.

**Top_Dog: **only me? you were expecting someone else?

**flower_power: **yeah, we've been wondering where Naruto has been since the prelims. speaking of which, you're going to apologize to him.

The sudden mention of apologizing brought a rush of memories from the forest of death, most of them were ones she had wanted to forget.

**Top_Dog:** wait, what did I do?

**flower_power:** for saying those mean things about him a long time ago

**Top_Dog:** I'm not doing it unless you guys apologize too. I shouldn't be the only one responsible

**flower_power:** don't worry, I'll apologize too along with forehead

Sakura could only assume that her next statement wouldn't go over well.

**Cherry_Blossom:** Actually, I already have.

**flower_power:** I knew it!

**cloud_watcher:** don't change your story Ino

**flower_power:** I'm not! both you and Chouji heard her when she was cheering for Naruto.

**Top_Dog:** come to think of it, I remember something happening between those two in the forest

A small gasp escaped from the girl's lips. "Oh no, they can't hear about that!"

**Cherry_Blossom:** Kiba I swear if you say anything that happened, I'll have your sister neuter you.

**Top_Dog: **I'll shut up

**flower_power:** we are going to have a talk about this later Kiba. now have you seen Naruto at all since your fight?

**Top_Dog:** I just got back from the hospital so don't look at me. besides, why are you guys so desperate in finding him?

The chat went quiet. No one really knew how to answer the obvious question. Sakura had only managed to catch a glimpse of Naruto's distraught face when he watched Hinata being carried out. She had known that Hinata had been important to Naruto in some way, and by the expression on his face, it was all too obvious that Naruto was in mental distress.

Then there was Hinata, the girl who had tried so hard to stand up for herself, the one who caused Sakura to change her ways. Like Naruto, Sakura had also felt helpless when she watched both Hyūga's duel. She could barely hold in her emotions when she saw Hinata land against the floor one last time. It only hurt her more when she tried to imagine what Naruto went through.

**Cherry_Blossom: **He ran off after Hinata lost to Neji. He got really worked up and left without even watching the last two fights.

**Top_Dog:** it must have been serious then. you know how Naruto likes to watch fights, or at least cause them

**flower_power:** which is exactly why we are wondering what's going on. and after what happened to Hinata…

Ino's last sentence was the perfect hint to get Sakura's brain going. Every time she had seen Naruto with Hinata was all starting to make sense now.

**Cherry_Blossom:** you don't think that the two are a…ya know…thing

**flower_power: **yeah that's what I'm starting to think

**Top_Dog:** now that you mention it, it does make sense

**cloud_watcher: **you guys are thinking this over way to much

Shikamaru's sudden words were enough to enough to startle Sakura.

**Cherry_Blossom:** What do you mean?

**flower_power:** spill it Shika!

**cloud_watcher:** ever since Naruto witnessed you guys make fun of him, he's had a different attitude towards you all. the more obvious change has been with Sakura. in a sense, you guys betrayed his trust as a friend and as a result, he's gotten closer with someone who hasn't hurt him yet

While it hurt Sakura to be used as the main example for the boy's story, she knew that everything he said was true.

**Top_Dog: **I'm not following

**cloud_watcher:** ugh, you know how important friends are to Naruto. how do you think he felt when he saw Hinata get beaten up by Neji? There is no doubt that they are close friends, but there's no reason to assume they have a thing going on. Besides, with the way Naruto acted, that's the last thing we should be worrying about.

Sakura sat in her chair speechless. _Shikamaru is right. Why is it that I can be so smart when it comes to learning, yet I'm the complete opposite when it comes to understand people's emotions at all? I'm going to need to find a way to make this up to Naruto, something more than just an "I'm sorry."_

**Cherry_Blossom: **Thanks Shika, I guess you're right.

**flower_power: **I'm really going to have to apologize to him now.

**cloud_watcher: **it's quite a drag to realize that it took you this long to realize

**Top_Dog: **wait Shikamaru, how did you know about that whole event with us?

**cloud_watcher:** you know 10 10 talks too much

_-i_like_noodles- has joined the chat._

There was a long pause between everyone in the chat. No one really knew what to say towards Naruto during the awkward silence. Sakura waited to hopefully hear a response, but nothing came. _Something's wrong. Usually Naruto greets everyone right away. _

**Cherry_Blossom: **Naruto, you there?

**i_like_noodles:** huh? What's up?

The kunoichi let out a sigh. _Something's defiantly wrong. _

**flower_power:** We haven't heard from you in a while so we were wondering how you were doing.

Naruto knew how to answer her; the only problem was that he didn't want them to know his reason.

**i_like_noodles: **oh, I've been busy to say the least. Need to keep training ya know?

**flower_power: **I know that! I'm just saying.

Silence came over the chat once again. Sakura tried to think of something to say that would hopefully cause Naruto to talk, but was interrupted by the sound of another message.

**Top_Dog:** so Naruto, now that you beat me in the prelims, any idea on who you are fighting at the start of the finals?

Sakura's eyes widened from shock at the message. Fortunately for her, Shikamaru responded with her exact thoughts.

**cloud_watcher:** dumbass

**Top_Dog:** what?

**flower_power:** have you not been paying attention to what we have been typing?

**Top_Dog:** I just got on 10 minutes ago, don't blame me for something you guys failed to tell me.

Their reactions puzzled the blond boy. _Why would they act like that, unless…_

**i_like_noodles:** tell me, who am I fighting?

For a third time that day since Naruto had joined, the chat had grown silent. This time, however, the group knew what to say, but at the same time, they didn't want to answer. On the other hand, Shikamaru felt that he needed to know.

**cloud_watcher: **Neji

The ramen lover could only chuckle a little at himself for realizing the obvious answer. Even though Shikamaru's response was one word long, the emotional baggage continued to pile on.

**i_like_noodles: **I see

It would have been impossible for others to see, but because Sakura had known Naruto for a long time, she was able to picking up on the slight hints he was giving.

**Cherry_Blossom: **Naruto, what's wrong? You're not the same.

Naruto bit his lower lip as he read her response. _Crap, am I that obvious? I need to think of something else._

**i_like_noodles: **it's nothing, I mean a while ago, you guys would do anything to get rid of me and now you are all being nice to me.

**flower_power:** oh yeah, about that.

**cloud_watcher:** weren't you going to say something?

**flower_power:** don't rush me! anyways, Naruto, I wanted to say that I'm sorry for what I've said to you

**Top_Dog: **yeah, I'm sorry for what I said too

Normally, the blond-haired boy would have responded right away, but it became harder for him to focus on what was going on. It took a few chimes from the computer to bring his wandering mind back to his senses.

**Top_Dog: **so…do you accept?

**flower_power:** don't ask him that! He'll tell us when he's ready

**i_like_noodles: **huh, oh thanks guys

**flower_power: **and girl

**i_like_noodles: **yeah, that's what I meant

The more Sakura read into the random conversation, the more she grew frustrated. The way Naruto corrected himself after every response was the final straw for her.

**Cherry_Blossom: **Ok Naruto, something is wrong. You're spacing out which you only do if something is bothering you. What is going on?

The boy could only sigh as a response. _Why does she have to be so persistent?_

**i_like_noodles: **it's nothing ok! would you just drop it!

**Cherry_Blossom: **No I won't! If you don't tell me, then I'm just going to go over to your apartment and beat whatever is wrong with you out!

**flower_power: **Settle down Sakura, he doesn't want to talk about it

**Top_Dog: **lighten up a little

**Cherry_Blossom: **His sulking isn't going to get any better if he won't tell us what's wrong. How can we help him if we don't know what's going on?

Naruto had to read the girl's response several times to make sure he understood her right. _She wants to help, which means she's only going to get more annoying if I try to keep hiding it. Argh, fine, whatever._

**i_like_noodles: **ok fine, you wanna know what's wrong? What's wrong is I had to sit on the sidelines and watch my friend get beaten down and mocked for her own ideals that she believed in. Worst of all, the person who mocked her was someone from her clan!

**Cherry_Blossom:** Don't you remember Shino telling us that there was some kind of family feud going on?

**i_like_noodles:** but they are clan members. what's the point of being in a clan if you're just going to fight with them?

**Cherry_Blossom: **They probably have a reason for arguing.

**i_like_noodles: **ok fine, maybe they do have their reasons, but that doesn't mean he can just out right insult her. You heard him call her a failure, he had no right to do that and he hardly gave her a chance to defend herself too! It's not fair for him to label people like that!

**Cherry_Blossom:** You're right. It wasn't fair of him, but she did put up a fight when the time came.

**i_like_noodles:** that's the worst part though! no matter how hard she tried to fight against him, he would keep mocking her even though she was trying her best.

**Cherry_Blossom:** Well he was the stronger fighter.

**i_like_noodles: **are you defending him?

**Cherry_Blossom:** Of course not! I think that every he did was wrong but I'm just trying to think logically of the situation. Are you sure you're not taking this exhibition fight just a little too personal? He did include you in his comments too.

**i_like_noodles: **I don't care about all the things he said to me, it's only personal because of what he did to Hinata! No one insults my friends like that and gets away with it.

**Cherry_Blossom:** So what are you going to do about it?

Naruto froze at her comment. All his anger washed away when he thought about his futile attempts to see Hinata.

**i_like_noodles:** I don't know

The boy's sudden change in emotion caught Sakura off guard.

**Cherry_Blossom:** You don't know?

**i_like_noodles:** I tried all last night to see Hinata, but the doctors kept me from seeing her. No matter how hard I tried, I just couldn't get in to see her. I just wanted to know if she's alright. I only got home a little bit ago because Kakashi-Sensei told me that I should visit her later.

_So that's the real reason he's upset. He never got to see Hinata. _A smirk formed from the young girl's mouth.

**Cherry_Blossom:** Well you know…it technically is later.

**i_like_noodles:** huh?

**Cherry_Blossom:** I'm saying you should go see her and I'll come too. So what if the doctors say no. We can sneak in, we are ninjas you know.

Naruto's eyebrow rose at her comment. _Did she just say that?_

**i_like_noodles: **wait, you want to help me now?

**Cherry_Blossom:** "In the ninja world, those who break the rules are scum, but those who abandon their friends are worse than scum." That's what Kakashi-Sensei taught us.

**i_like_noodles: **I understand that, but why do you want to help?

**Cherry_Blossom:** I've done some things in the past to you and Hinata that I'm not particularly proud of and I know it will probably take you a while before you will forgive me, but I figured this would at least be a start to making it up to you.

Naruto was stunned. Sakura, the one who had been the main source of his problems was now trying to make up for her past mistakes. Realizing the opportunity he had, a smile overtook his face.

**i_like_noodles: **ok then.

**Cherry_Blossom:** Great, let's meet in front of the hospital.

**i_like_noodles:** right, see you there.

_-i_like_noodles- has left the chat._

**flower_power:** Sakura, what got into you?

**Top_Dog:** you've pulled a pretty big 180

**Cherry_Blossom: **I had a little chat with Hinata.

_-Cherry_Blossom - has left the chat._

**flower_power: **a chat? wonder what Hinata said.

**Dont_bug_me: **She slapped her.

**flower_power:** wait, what! Shino talk now!

-_Dont_bug_me- has left the chat._

**flower_power: **NO!

* * *

The rain had finally decided that it wanted to down pour just as Naruto had gotten right under the entry way of the hospital. The boy knelt over as he tried to catch his breath. He had grown tired from running at first, but the idea of being able to see Hinata again was enough motivation to keep him going.

After catching most of his breath, the blond-haired boy looked around cautiously, hoping that he hadn't drawn too much attention to himself. Several nurses from inside the hospital gave him questionable looks as if they had seen him before. His fox-like instincts kicked in, causing him to leap into the nearest bush available.

Off in the distance, Sakura watched the scene unfold in front of her as she slowly walked towards the hospital under her umbrella. Just the sight of Naruto allowed regret for her acts to flow through her mind. A small sigh escaped her mouth at his childlike acts. _Just remember Sakura, you're here to help him and make up for everything you've done. You owe it to him._

The kunoichi finally made it under the hospital archway and immediately felt a slight annoyance towards her teammate. His golden blond hair stuck out like a sore thumb in the leafy green bush as he peered through the door-way. "Naruto, what the hell are you doing?"

The boy's gaze never left the hospital entrance. "What does it look like I'm doing? I'm hiding so they don't find me. Don't make a big scene about it and act normal."

Sakura let out a small growl while a couple of people passed her going into the hospital. "As if a girl talking to a bush isn't making a big enough scene. Ugh, whatever. Meet me on the roof of the hospital, ok?"

Before Naruto could say anything back at her, she was gone. Using his ninja speed, he quickly ran up the hospital wall to meet back up with her. As he approached the waiting girl, his eyes managed to catch something he didn't notice before. "Hey Sakura, you cut your hair?"

Sakura ran a hand through her newly cut hair as she adjusted her umbrella for her teammate to seek shelter from the rain. "Yeah, I figured I needed a new look after that exam. Do you like it?"

The blond boy simple tilted his head to the side in confusion. "I dunno. It doesn't look any different to me."

Irritation came over the girl as she began to clench her fist. _Calm down Sakura. You're supposed to be helping him, not beat the crap out of him._ She slowly regained control over hand and decided it was time to do what they had come there for. "Alright Naruto, are you ready to sneak in?"

"Of course! Let's get in there!" A glimmer of excitement could be seen from Naruto's deep blue eyes as he answered almost immediately. Sakura could only chuckle as her friend ran ahead of her to open the door on the roof top. Her amusement was cut short when she heard several grunts from the boy. "No, no, no! The door is locked! Now how are we going to get in?"

Sakura slowly walked forward at her own pace practically showing she was in control. "Now now Naruto, you don't think I'd come here without a backup plan. It's all about having connections in the right places."

The ramen lover's mind thought long and hard about what her backup plan was until it finally dawned on him. His eyes lit up while his smile got bigger from excitement. "Wait, you mean?"

Sakura's emerald orbs gave off a sly like stare to confirm her friend's thoughts. "That's right Naruto. We are gon—"

"We're gonna go through the sewers which are connected to the hospital. Sakura you're a genius! Let's go!" However before the boy could leap off the roof, the tiny girl grabbed his orange jacket by the collar and pulled him into the ground.

"There is no way a dignified woman like myself is going to go running through the sewers. We are gonna to use this key I stole from my mom since she works at the hospital." Sakura's fist shook the small silver key in front of the boy's face.

Naruto grunted as he slowly got up on his own two feet. His eyes gave off a lazy expression as they watched his teammate retreat towards the door. He quickly muttered his thoughts under his breath. "Using the sewer would have been cooler."

"What was that?"

"Nothing!" Naruto quickly ran to catch up with his partner in crime who was already making her way down the steps. The two ventured down the cold, dark stairwell trying to make as little noise as possible. A light soon became visible when they neared the door marked with the number five.

Sakura quickly signaled for Naruto stop as she slowly peered out the window. The coast was clear in the hallway before them except for one lady who was sitting behind a counter while looking at a computer. The woman had onyx colored hair with bangs that almost reached to her shoulders. Unlike the other nurses, she wore a black robe instead of the usual white outfit.

_That's weird. I haven't seen her here before._ The pink-haired girl gave another look around the hallway. "Alright Naruto, here's the plan. We need to get to that computer in order to find where Hinata is in the hospital. It's that or we check every room on each floor until we find her which will most likely get us caught faster."

Naruto looked out the small window in order to get a feel for where the computer was and also noticed the lady behind the counter. "What are we gonna do about her?"

"Can't you just make a clone and distract her?"

"Alright." Before he could make the seal to create a copy of himself, a small hand grabbed a hold of his arm. His look of confusion was missed by the girl next to him whose emerald eyes were fixated on the lady by the counter.

"Hang on a sec, she got a phone call." Sakura slowly opened the door a crack, allowing the two to hear the conversation. She only hoped that it would give them a clue as to Hinata's location.

The woman held the phone to her ear with her shoulder while her hands quickly shuffled through the papers before her. "Yes, I have the files right here. Let's see…she has internal damage to her organs. So far no allergies to medication and her blood type is A—"

Abrupt shouts could be heard from the other end of the phone which caught the nurse off guard. She quickly jolted the phone away from her ear to counter the other person's complaints. With an agonizing look on her face, the dark-haired woman slowly brought the device back to her ear and immediately began apologizing. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry! I know you hate blood but I just thought it would be useful information…right, I'll bring the files down myself right away, m'lady."

_M'lady? Who was she talking to? _Sakura spied on the nurse as she quickly gathered the files in a manila folder and proceeded to hurry with them. Giving the hallway one final look, the girl whispered back to her friend. "She went towards the elevators, now's our chance."

The two hurried over to the vacant counter, managing to go unnoticed. Sakura quickly took over on the computer and began to look though the patient files as fast as she could while Naruto kept watch for anyone who might interfere.

After several seconds, anxiety started to get the best of the boy. His deep blue eyes began to wander over towards the computer. They became entranced by how his friend's slender fingers danced over the keyboard. "Hey, do you know what you're doing?"

"I've watched my mom do this a million times. I'll find her in no time seconds." The taping of the keyboard grew louder as she tried to search faster. Everything seemed to be going fine for her until a name she recognized appeared on the list. The quick tapping of fingers came to a sudden halt while she let out a small gasp from the shock. _Lee-san!_

The sudden stop didn't go unnoticed by Naruto. "What? What's wrong?"

Sakura shook her head a little to regain her composure, "Sorry, it's nothing." She quickly went back to scanning through the list of names. It only took seconds before she found the name that the two had been searching for. "I got it!"

Naruto's face beamed with excitement. "Really? Where is she?"

Unfortunately for the two, the nurse had made her way back down the hallway. Her grumbles were covered up by the loud cracks her sandals gave off against the cold floor as she hurried towards the stairs. "Of course the elevator isn't working and right when I need to deliver these files too."

By the time that the two had realized she was coming, it was too late. Both quickly froze hoping to blend into the background as she made her way past the desk. It probably would have worked too if it hadn't been for Naruto's bright orange jacket.

The nurse had to do a quick second take as she neared the counter. The look that both of them gave off a signal that they knew they were caught. "What the heck are you two doing up here? This floor is for staff and patients only!"

"I..um..well..you see..." Sakura tried to swallow the dryness in her mouth but had no luck. Before she could think of what to do next, her body began to be pulled away with the chair dragging behind her.

"Run!" Naruto had grabbed onto his friends hand, pulling her down the hallway to make an escape leaving the nurse behind.

The dark haired lady let out a sigh as she rubbed the top of her head. She gripped the manila folder as her stride turned into a light jog. "First I'm late with the files, now there are kids running around the hospital. M'lady is going to kill me."

* * *

Naruto and Sakura quickly turned the corner only to find an empty hallway before them. Both of them had managed to evade the pursuer for several minutes, but the running began to take a toll on them. Sakura grabbed onto her knees as she tried to catch her breath. "You know…I'm sure if we would…have told her why we're here…she would have let us see Hinata."

Naruto quickly retorted back once he stopped breathing heavily. "She was going to throw us out. That would have defeated the whole purpose of us being here."

It didn't take long before the loud slaps of sandals grew in the distance. Sakura, who was still recovering from the constant running, was the first to notice the noise. "She's still coming. There's no way we can outrun her."

Shifty blue eyes darted throughout the hallway until they set upon an unlikely door. "Maybe we don't have to. Come on!"

The black-robed nurse managed to turn the corner into the hallway as the two kids neared their destination. She called out several times for them but immediately stopped when she saw them enter a room. A bewildered look came over her face as she continued to run down the hall. _Hiding in a room? There's nothing but supply closets down this hallway._

Sliding to a stop in front of the correct door, the lady took a brief pause to catch her breath. With a quick turn and pull of the door knob, her onyx eyes immediately looked upon a frightened young girl with pink hair. Her feet slowly began to walk her in the closet while she began to lecture the poor girl. "Young lady, do you have any idea how much trouble you are causing in this hospital? And where is your frie—"

"Supplies!"

The nurse quickly looked up at the ceiling in time to see the blond culprit slam a bedpan right into her forehead. The blow to her head sent her falling to the floor completely unconscious.

Naruto released the chakra holding his feet to the ceiling, dropping himself to the floor. He quickly looked outside the closet door to make sure no one had seen them and shut the door. Turning around to his partner in crime, he boasted a cheerful smile. "All right, we're in the clear! She was one crazy nurse, huh?"

Sakura, on the other hand, was not so thrilled with their accomplishment. Curiosity got the best of her as she promptly began to look over the stunned body. After turning the body over to read the nametag, her emerald eyes grew with horror. "Oh my kami...we are in big trouble!"

The boy's face put on its own confused look at the girls reaction. "What? What's wrong?"

Without saying a word, Sakura's hand slowly pointed towards the nametag attached to the limp body.

Worried eyes quickly followed her hand over to the pinned name on the woman's robe. While he read the name perfectly fine, he was still confused as to what the problem was. "Shizune? What's so bad about that?"

The pink-haired girl whipped her head towards her friend to reveal a distressed look upon her. "What's so bad about that? What's so BAD about THAT? She's only the personal assistant to one of the legendary Sannin!"

Even though Naruto understood everything Sakura was saying, confusion was still hovering around his head. "Ok, we just knocked out someone very important. However, we are going to be sneaking off soon so what's the problem?"

Sakura's eyes enlarged even more at his comment. Anxiety began to kick in, causing her to speak faster than before. "Did you even hear the phone conversation from earlier? She called the other person on the phone "m'lady." As an assistant, you only use a proper term when talking to your higher up. Need I mention that she was also supposed to deliver the files, which are now on the ground, to her higher up who is in this building right now? Tsunade-sama is in this very building!"

Naruto quickly tossed his hands up in a defensive manner. "Ok, Ok, sorry I asked. Just please calm do—"

"Calm down? This is Tsunade-sama were talking about! She's the granddaughter of the First Hokage! I've heard that she can send her opponents flying with one finger. Also, I heard that one time, she caught a boy spying on the women's hot springs. She ended up breaking six of his ribs and both his arms along with rupturing several of the boy's internal organs! Imagine just what she would do to us after she found out we knocked out her personal assistant! Waah, I can't even think what would happen!"

Realizing at how loud his teammate was actually being, Naruto's instincts quickly kicked in. His hands latched onto her shoulders and proceeded to shake her wildly. "Stop it Sakura, you need to calm down!"

After several seconds of madly being shaken, Sakura quickly shoved away from the boy next to her. Her hands rested on her beating heart as she tried her best to relax herself. "Thanks Naruto, I needed that."

Naruto gave her a cheeky smile before letting the seriousness return to his face. "No problem, but now we have to figure out what to do with her. If anyone finds her, we might as well kiss this mission goodbye."

The two stood there trying to think of plans as minutes passed by. Naruto had thought up of several plans within that time but kept finding flaws with every one of them. Sakura, on the other hand, had figured out one that would most likely get Naruto to where he wanted to go. The problem was it only guaranteed Naruto a way out, while leaving her behind.

_It's the perfect plan for Naruto, providing that he doesn't act dumb and screw it up. However, I'll most likely get caught as a result. _It didn't take long before the images from the prelims began to appear in her mind. Naruto's face as he watched Hinata fall in defeat. Naruto jumping down and running after Hinata after the fight was through. It was easily enough to give Sakura a change of heart. "Naruto…why don't you go on ahead."

The ramen lover quickly forgot whatever plan he was thinking of in order to comprehend what was just said. "Wait, you want me to leave you behind?"

Sakura gave him a confirming nod. "The whole reason we are here is because you wanted to see Hinata. I wanted to help you so you might think better of me now. If we just sit here trying to figure out what to do with her, we'll both probably get caught. So let me figure out how to get out of this while you go on ahead. Besides, I'm smart enough, I'll think of something."

The upbeat tone of her words caught the boy off guard, but not for long. He remembered that this was the new Sakura. Not someone that would ditch him without offering any help what so ever, but rather a person who wanted to help him as a friend in any way possible. Naruto broke into a smile. "Alright then, what's the plan?"

The pink-haired girl let out a chuckle. "You're going to disguise yourself as Shizune in order to move about the hospital freely. You'll just have to carry around these files in case you run into Tsunade-sama."

A dismayed look came over Naruto. "Wait, you want me to go out there by myself with that crazy lady?"

"Well do you wanna see Hinata or not?"

Before the boy could think of something to say, the manila folder full of files was held out in front of him. While letting out a sigh, he slapped his hands together to form a quick seal. "_Henge!"_ Within a split second, a cloud of smoke surrounded him and disappeared to reveal an exact duplicate of the nurse on the ground. He quickly took the folder waiting in front of him. "Alright, you win."

"Good, she's on the fourth floor in room thirty one. Now get going before it's too late." Sakura let out a smile to signal that she approved. She watched as the disguised Naruto took a glance at the manila folder before heading towards the door. _I guess Naruto isn't that bad of a guy. He's actually quite a caring now that I think about it. Hinata was right, he does deserve better. I should have tried to be his friend from the start. Hopefully he'll think differently of me now._

Naruto twisted the door knob and had the door-half way open when a sudden thought hit him. He quickly turned back towards his friends catching her completely off guard. "Hey Sakura, I forgot something I wanted to tell you."

The girl raised an eyebrow. "Huh, what is it?"

The boy used his free hand to scratch the back of his head. "Well, I wanted to thank you for your help today. Also, I know that you're trying to make up for everything that you've done to me, especially from the past week or so, but…"

The perplexing look on the young girl continued to grow. "Would you hurry it up Naruto? Someone could be here any second."

Naruto quickly swallowed the saliva that had built up in his mouth. "Well, you see…I just don't think that I can call you Sakura-chan anymore."

The slight chuckles that followed his confession proceeded to build up Sakura's annoyance for him again. _Different my ass. _She quickly shoved the boy out into the hallway which resulted in him crashing into a cart full of medical supplies. "You should have stopped at 'thanks' Naruto."

The disguised boy looked over at the supply closet only to see it shut in front of him. Picking himself up off the floor, he brushed the black robe to rid it of any dust or dirt. Taking another look at the folder in his hand, he reassured himself of the room number and continued his adventure in the hospital…which didn't last for long.

"Hold it right there Shizune!"

Naruto quickly froze in place after realizing that he was the one disguised as Shizune. Slowly turning around, he watched as an older lady with blonde hair tied into two ponytails hurried down the hallway. Her sandals clapped loudly against the concrete floor, and when she stopped right in front of him, she exhaled deeply through her nose, almost as if trying to let out some steam.

The woman glared at the nurse with no sign of stopping. "Where the hell have you been Shizune? I asked you for those files fifteen minutes ago!"

The black-haired woman stood in silence. _Oh crap, this is the woman Sakura warned me about. What was her name…tsu…tsu…Tsunade! _"I-I'm sorry Tsunade-sama! W-well you see, I-I was just running a-an errand for another n-nurse quick to get some supplies."

The older looking woman gave off a perplexed expression. "Why are you stuttering? Never mind that, where are the files on that Hyūga?"

Naruto stood there baffled until he felt his fingers rub against the rough manila folder. "Oh, um…here."

The blonde lady swiped the folder without paying any attention to the befuddled nurse. She quickly scanned through the pages as if trying to memorize every last detail in a hurry. She mumbled a few words every now and then, but they were far too complex for Naruto to understand. "Alright, it looks like she's stabilizing a lot quicker than I imagined. Maybe since she's a Hyūga, her body knows how to recover faster from the damage."

The Shizune look-a-like could only stand there in confusion. "How does being a Hyūga make her recover faster?"

"Hyūga usually practice their Jūken fighting style on other Hyūga. Her body might have adapted to being attacked by another Hyūga so it knows how to recover quicker from internal injuries like the ones she has now."

Although not completely understanding the explaination, Naruto's smile instantly started to grow. "So she's recovering well. That's great! She'll be out of here in no time!"

Tsunade looked up from the folder to give the other woman a sharp glare. "She's still going to have to rest in the hospital, Shizune. You can't just recover from internal organ damage within a day even if they are trained. I thought I taught you better than that."

Naruto held in his excitement for fear of what the older woman might do to him. He quickly gave a bow to apologize. "I-I'm s-sorry Tsunade-sama! Forgive me!"

The blonde woman closely observed her assistant until she noticed something peculiar. "Something's wrong with your back Shizune. You've been slouching this whole time and now your bowing posture is off. What's going on here?"

_Crap, I've been caught! _The Shizune clone slowly looked up from her bow to see Tsunade's face slowly turn into a scowl. "Well…um…see there were these kids who were snuck into the hospital and I tried to chase them off, but ended up hurting my back in the process."

"I see…" Tsunade's eyes slowly began to wander down the hallway as if in search of the runaway kids.

Hoping that everything was alright, Naruto rose from his bow and stood as straight as he could. "So…what are you going to do for Hi-I mean the Hyūga now?"

Clapping the folder shut, Tsunade turned around to begin walking down the hallway. "I'm not going to do anything. I came to find you because I heard from one of the nurses that the old bat of a Hokage is on his way to the hospital to find me. I'm going to need you to look after the Hyūga while I try to find a way to lose him."

The boy's confusion took an even greater hold on him. "What's so bad if finds he you? The Third isn't that bad of a person."

The woman's footsteps came to a screeching halt immediately after hearing her assistant's question. "I've told you time after time Shizune, the only reason I'm here back in Konoha is because Hiashi-sama offered me a lot of ryō for healing his daughter quickly. I'm not here to make amends with that old man. I meant every word I said before I left."

Naruto's mood quickly died down when he became conscious of the touchy subject. "Oh, s-sorry Tsunade-sama…"

Realizing what she had done, the blonde woman let out a small sigh before holding up the manila folder to her secretary. "No, it's alright. Just being here makes me stressed out, that's all. The Hyūga is in room four thirty one. Oh, and the Hyūga had a visitor come see her as I was leaving. Anyways, I'll meet back up with you later."

Remembering his original mission, the boy quickly grabbed the folder out of the woman's hands. "Y-yes Tsunade-sama, I'll go right away!"

Tsunade watched as her assistant quickly took the door leading to the stairs before she turned around to continue walking. A small smirk crossed her face followed by a chuckle as she ventured down a hallway. "I guess I can go kill two birds with one stone now. If I were a couple of kids, where would I hide?"

* * *

The doors to the fourth floor from the stair way burst open to reveal a bright-eyed Shizune. She had a smile so big that it even made the other doctors and nurses wonder if this person was an imposter. Naruto, on the other hand, could care less about what everyone else thought. He was just happy to have evaded the possible wrath of the First Hokage's Granddaughter.

The boy peered down the hallway looking for the room numbers until his eyes finally found the room he was looking for. _Room four twenty nine…four thirty…room four thirty one! I've finally found it!_

Trying to keep his excitement down as to not drawn more attention to himself, Naruto quickly made his way over towards the white door. But as soon as his hand gripped the door handle he froze. Vivid images of Hinata in her weakened state appeared in his mind which caused him to jolt his hand away from the doorknob. The boy could only stare at the pale white door.

_I couldn't do anything before to help her. All I could do was watch as she was beaten down._ A sudden jiggle of the doorknob brought Naruto out of his thoughts. The door slowly opened to reveal a slightly taller woman with long black hair and ruby eyes. The boy, however, stood in the doorway, unsure of what to say.

"Oh, Shizune, it's good to see you." Kurenai opened the door even wider to welcome the new guest in. "You're making your rounds I see. Come in please. I was just on my way to leave."

The disguised boy entered the room cautiously, making sure to keep perfect posture. He was quite shocked to find the hospital room a little bigger than the usual patient rooms, along with several more pillows added for the patient. He was about to say something until the words caught in his throat at the sight of Hinata peacefully resting on the soft cotton sheets.

Kurenai followed the nurse in and went to the side of the bed to kneel down. "I know she shouldn't be seeing any visitors right now, but as her teacher, I was concerned with how she was doing. Would it be too much trouble to ask for a doctor's point of view on how she is?"

Naruto began to fumble with the papers when he realized the woman had stopped talking. He didn't understand a single line of doctor notes but tried his best to recall what Tsunade had mentioned earlier. "W-well she's stabilizing a lot quicker than we thought she would. Tsunade-sama thinks it's because she's a Hyūga and is used to these kinds of injuries."

The taller woman gave a sigh of relief. "That's the best news I've heard all day, thank you. I guess I shouldn't have been too worried for her knowing she was in Tsunade-sama and your care."

Shizune let out a playful smile. "Well, we always try our best."

Kurenai gave the woman a nod before standing back up. "You know, it's kinda funny with her. When I got in here, Hinata was dreaming and she kept mentioning a boy's name. Brings back memories of the academy days, huh?"

Naruto's eyes shot open at the comment. "S-she did? W-what name was she saying?"

The older woman let out a chuckle as she kept a playful smirk on her face. "Come on Shizune, you know you don't kiss and tell. I'll leave you be so you can finish your check up with her. Talk with you later."

The boy put on a fake smile until Hinata's teacher was out of the room. "Don't kiss and tell, stupid rules…At least I can get out of this disguise now."

The Shizune clone burst into a cloud of smoke, revealing the short blond boy. It only took Naruto a second later to realize that he should lock the door before anyone unexpected comes in. With a quick flip of the lock, the boy turned around and took a second embrace his surroundings.

The room was quiet except for the faint sound of a heart monitor that beeped at a steady pace. Every now and then, the window blinds clapped against the wall as the wind died down from the outside. All that seemed to have no effect on the boy since his eyes were only focused on the girl who was comfortably sleeping in the hospital bed.

_She looks so peaceful, I don't know if I should even wake her. _Naruto tip-toed closer to the bed, never letting his sights drift away from the bed. By doing so, however, he completely missed his feet getting tangled up with the cords connected to the hospital bed. Before the boy could blink, the wires tightly bound his feet, pulling him to the floor. His hands waved frantically to try and save himself, but the only thing his hands managed to get a hold of was the top layer of the bed sheet. He pulled the bed cover with him as he crashed into the floor.

The whole incident managed to knock the sleeping Hyūga out of her subconscious. Her eyes began to flutter open. The cool breeze sent a chill through her body, causing her to wiggle around until her eyes lids opened for good. Her hands fidgeted with the hospital outfit she was wearing until she noticed that there was no bed sheet covering her.

Confused at the situation, Hinata slowly sat up from her bed, trying her best to attract as little pain to her as possible. To her surprise, the cover for her bed was barely hanging on the side of her bed. She reached for the sheet and gave it a light tug only to have it not move an inch. Baffled by the bed cover, she gave it another tug with more force than before only to have it not move again. Frustration took over her as she edged her way over to the side of the bed to figure out what was preventing her from getting the sheet. As the girl peered over the bed, her eyes widened in astonishment. "N-Naruto-kun?"

The boy shot up from the floor at the speed of lighting. "Hi Hinata!"

Hinata had to blink a few times blink a few times to make sure she was seeing things right. "W-what are you d-doing here?"

Naruto quickly untangled himself from the bed cover and tossed it at the girl's bed with a smile. "I'm here to see you, silly."

"Oh," the dark-haired girl was still too stunned from seeing her crush to figure out what to say.

After freeing himself of the cords tangled around his feet, Naruto hopped on the edge of the bed to get a little more comfortable. "Yeah, that Neji guy didn't show you any mercy. I was so worried about you!"

Hinata let her head sink down as she gripped the bed sheet in her lap. "I-I'm sorry for m-making you worry."

The girl's sudden change in tone caught Naruto off guard. "Huh? Don't be sorry. I was just worried for you because we're friends. There's no need to apologize for that."

While Hinata did understand his reasoning, her mind was more focused on something else. It was the result of her fight with Neji. She could only mumble out a response.

Naruto stared at her in confusion._ Did I say something wrong? She's usually happier than this. Maybe if I change the subject…_He gave a quick look around the room. "You have quite a big room here. Mine never get to be this nice."

Hinata didn't even budge from the bed. The feeling of failure began to swallow her and she could only imagine what her father would say to her this time.

Azure eyes watched as the girl remained motionless. With a small sigh, the boy slipped off the bed and walked over towards the window. He stared at the sky, trying to find a reason for the girl's odd behavior. _"__Hinata is under a lot of pressure right now. She is lost in her thoughts, because this match is of great importance to her."_ It shocked him how he forgot the importance of her fight. "I heard a funny thing from Shikamaru today."

The random statement seemed to catch Hinata's attention. Her head rose slightly to gaze at the boy by the window.

Naruto's eyes managed to catch the small reaction from his friend. "I'll be fighting Neji in the finals."

The girl's violet eyes shot open as she let out a small gasp. "Y-you have to fight Neji-nii-san?"

"Yep." He turned around while cracking his knuckles, "I'm gonna beat the crap out of him as payback for what he did to you."

Hinata let her head sink down again. Her tiny hands gripped the bed sheet in frustration. "How are you going to beat him? You saw what he did to me. There's no way he'll go easier on you either."

"Well that's where you come in. You'll have to help me find a way to counter his Byakugan thingy. After that, the rest of the fight is easy." Naruto gave the girl a smile that beamed with confidence.

"B-but even knowing about the Byakugan, Neji still has the best fighting skill out of all of us. How will you beat him?" She didn't want to doubt him, but all signs pointed to him losing. The girl looked up and to her surprise saw Naruto standing with his fist pointed at her.

"I know I'll win because I made a promise that I would. After you passed out, I made a promise to win no matter what for you. I never go back on my word Hinata, because that is my nindo."

Hinata sat silent for a moment but what she was really doing was trying to hold back a couple tears of joy. _If there's anyone who can beat Neji, then it's Naruto-kun. _"Y-you're right, thank you Naruto-kun. You will be able to beat him, I'm sure of it."

"Of course I can!" Naruto's smile grew a little more at her newfound confidence. However, the words of his friend did strike a familiarity to him. "Hey that reminds me, before you passed out you said 'was I able to…' What did you mean by that?"

The Hyūga let out a sharp gasp. _I said that? He wasn't supposed to know! _"I-it was nothing..."

"You can tell me Hinata! I came all the way here to see you and ask you about it." Naruto dashed over to the side of the bed with his blue eyes fluttering. "Pleeeaasssee?"

Hinata fidgeted with her fingers for a couple seconds before saying anything. _I guess it wouldn't hurt to tell him. _"Well…um…I-I wanted to know if you t-thought I was able to change…"

"Yeah you have!" Naruto couldn't contain his excitement. "The way you stood up to Neji was amazing! You may have thought you didn't have any confidence before, but it was very obvious during the fight."

The girl let out a small giggle at her friend's enthusiasm. "Thank you, Naruto-kun. That means a lot to me."

"Any time!" Naruto gave a cheeky smile in response. However, a new thought lit up in the boy's mind, quickly changing the expression on his face. "Speaking of change, I remember talking to Unknown Heiress about the same thing once over K.I.M."

Luckily for Hinata, the ramen lover completely missed her horrifying look. _Oh no, he can't figure out who I am like this! I need to find a way out of it. _"W-well, that's a-actually where I-I got the c-concept of change from. S-she told me about y-your conversation with her."

The boy turned to look at her with surprise. "You mean you know who Unknown Heiress is? Hinata you have to tell me who she is!"

The Hyūga immediately froze in place. _No, that went completely the wrong way I wanted it too! What do I do, what do I do? _The only thing she was able to do was stare at her friend, and even then her eyelids refused to blink. Her mouth dried up almost instantly, blocking her from saying anything comprehendible. The few words she did manage to mumble out were quickly overshadowed by a loud bang at the door.

"Hinata-sama! Are you alright? Open this door! I know there's someone in there with you!" a familiar voice shouted from the other side of the door.

Naruto darted his head towards the door. "Crap, it's that crazy nurse! She must have gotten away from Sakura!"

Hinata couldn't care less who was shouting outside of the room. She was just glad to have escaped the previous situation. Her violet eyes tried their best to keep up with the blond as he ran around the room looking for an escape route while more bangs sounded from the door.

"I demand you open this door right now! You better hope I don't get my hands on you, you blond brat!"

"Oh kami, I'm screwed! There's no way I'm…" The boy's words drifted off as soon as the calm wind brushed across his skin. "That's it!"

The hospital door let out a crack. "I don't wanna break this door down, open it now!"

Naruto slid away the curtains and opened the window to reveal his idea of escape. He placed one foot on the window sill before giving another look at the confused girl on the bed. _Come on Naruto, if there's a perfect time for this, it's now!_

Hinata watched as her friend pushed away from the window and ran over to the side of the bed. His face got closer to her than it was previously before, causing her to blush. Her eyes were so fixed on his azure stare that she completely missed his hands wrap around hers. The sudden change in him brought confusion to the girl. "N-Naruto-kun?"

"I'm glad you're ok, Hinata-chan." Saying no more, he gently placed his lips on the girl's blushing cheek. It lasted no more than a second, but that was all he needed in order to express his feelings. Releasing the girl from his grasp, he rushed over towards the window and gave her one last look with a smile on his face. "I'll talk to you later, ok?"

The hospital door finally gave away after one final bang, signaling it was time for Naruto to leave. He would have to wait for another time to hear Hinata's response. He managed to jump out of the window just as a tired Shizune ran in the room.

"That blond brat, I'll get him for what he did to me." The nurse tried her best to relax her breathing now that she was in the room. She scanned the room quickly and found the Hyūga she was looking for. "I'm so sorry Hinata-sama. Are you ok?"

Hinata sat on the bed with her jaw dropped slightly. To her, she could still feel the warmth from his hands and the kiss on her cheek and it was a feeling she didn't want to forget. She didn't care that her frozen state was scaring the nurse who had just entered. Her mind was still trying to process everything that had happened within the last minute. _Hinata…chan?

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Chapter 12 is a go! I hope the wait was worth it. It was so fun getting back to the chat room part of the story, I missed it so much. :x Once again, sorry for the wait. I did manage to figure out what I want to do for chapter 13 though so that's a plus.

A special thanks again to Blondie89 and Someday-Known for looking over some parts of this chapter. (and yes I did copy paste that this time :P) Thanks again!

Review if you like. I'm so happy that I reached my goal of 200 reviews! :D I use your reviews as pep talks for when I can't figure out what to write so thank you all!

I also tried to make this late update worth while by making a Naruto AMV again, but it got blocked from TV Tokyo. :( If I figure out a way to get around the blockage, I'll post a link to it in my profile for you all to see.

Lastly, to keep you all interested for the next chapter, I'll just say this. Icha Icha chat.

Until next time,

-Bench


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